Dark History and Shadowy Love
by Bane of All the World
Summary: Robin and Starfire have broken up, and everything is starting to settle down when Raven and Robin begin gravitating toward each other. But when Robin's past rears its head in the night of Jump City, the Titans are thrown into a whole new nightmare. And Robin and Raven have a mystery of their own to unravel. RobinXRaven
1. Nightmares and Meetings

Raven gasped and bolted upright, clutching the dark sheets. Her purple hair fell about her face, a few sweaty strands sticking to her forehead. She stared about her room and tried to take comfort in the familiarity, but the grotesque masks and eerie shapes of her furniture only made her wonder (for the second time) if she should think about decorating. Raven brushed the hair off her face and sighed, trying to remain calm and focused.

It had been like this for the past three months, ever since she had gotten home from that trip to Japan with her friends to hunt down Brushogun. Nothing about the trip had been unusually upsetting, but since Daizo's defeat that night she had been plagued with nightmares, not of Tokyo, but of the armageddon she had brought about.

Raven had spent the past three months remembering flashes of the events leading up to the world's destruction: Slade tearing off her clothes and exposing the marks of Scath tattooed into her skin; her friends, trapped helplessly in Slade's magic; Beast Boy pressing the penny into her hand; her friends, desperately fighting fiery demons to save her; her father's rising; her imprisonment in the subterranean hell; the wasted city; her helplessness as Trigon battled her friends. Raven shut her eyes as the image of Robin sprawled across the cracked stone flashed into her mind again. She remembered clinging to his back as he climbed out of hell, nothing between her and scorching flame but the body beneath her.

Raven shook her head, mentally chiding herself. Thinking about the past was pointless. Trigon was finished. It was over. She had been fine ever since. So why were her dreams so malicious now? Raven leaned back, and her head thunked against the headboard. Raven winced and tried to settle more comfortably into the pillows. She stared at the ceiling for only a few seconds before a faint sob interrupted the silence of her room. Raven sighed, blowing a stand of violet hair out of her eyes.

Starfire again. The night Raven's nightmares started was also the night Starfire and Robin officially became a couple. The pair had been drifting toward each other since they first met. The relationship wasn't a surprise. And everyone expected Star fire to be a bit clingy with Robin. What they hadn't expected was for Starfire to stick to Robin like moss on a tree. The Tamaranean wouldn't let Robin leave her side. She would insist that they do everything together- training, eating, kissing. Starfire seemed to believe that a moment not kissing Robin was a moment wasted. And Robin indulged her while they went through what Cyborg aptly termed the honeymoon phase, where the two were blind to each other's faults.

But after two weeks, things started returning to normal. Robin had certainly been a bit more affectionate toward Starfire, but there was still a city to protect and his obsession with stopping crime returned full force. Instead of taking it easy and enjoying the time Robin did spend with her, Starfire became even clingier. She would insist that Robin go everywhere with her, and refused to work with anyone else on missions, which left Raven with Beast Boy more often than she would like. If Robin got hit, Starfire would drop everything (including a falling Cyborg) and rush to help him.

It wasn't any better outside the missions. Robin became irritable and snapped at Star for constantly badgering him, which made her cry. On one particularly memorable day Robin shouted himself hoarse because Starfire burst through the bathroom wall saying, "Friend who is also a boy, why have you been in the room of bathing for so long a time? Do you require assistance?"

The shouting escalated until Starfire hit Robin, cracking one of his ribs. Apparently punching someone in the gut was a Tamaranean way of settling a dispute. At this point Beast Boy and Cyborg sat Starfire down and talked to her about dating. Raven even got dragged into the conversation. For a few days, things quieted down. Then two weeks ago they got a mission alert for a downtown robbery, nothing big. But during the fight, Starfire got in front of Robin at every turn to 'protect' him and impeded both of them. In the end no money was stolen, but two goons escaped.

When they returned to the tower, Starfire and Robin disappeared into her room for hours. The team could hear the female aliens yells, but nothing from Robin. When Starfire came into the living room an hour and a half later, Robin was nowhere to be seen. Starfire just sat on the couch and wept. It was over. The team barely saw Robin after that and heard even less from him, but Starfire was crying on and off all day. At night she would wake up, cry, and wail Tamaranean sadness songs sporadically.

Each Titan responded differently. Cyborg brought Star bottles of mustard to cheer her up and slept with steel earmuffs. Beast Boy told her jokes and slept in the basement. Raven tried to get Star to meditate, which failed miserably. Talking about feelings also failed. Suggesting she move on made it worse. Another moan spiked Raven's eardrums. She groaned and tried to chant her mantra over the sound.

"Azarath...Metrion…Zinthos" Raven gave up as the sobbing grew louder. Raven couldn't help feel a stab of sympathy for her friend. But Raven's sympathy for Star was second to her growing concern about her powers. Raven sat up and massaged her temples. She was still in control of her powers, but barely so. Raven was spending increasing amounts of time meditating, yet every night the dreams returned. That coupled with Starfire's depression was wearing her control thin.

Another cry left a stabbing pain in Raven's skull right between her eyes. That did it. Middle of the night or not, she needed herbal tea now. Raven staggered out of bed and into the hall, away from Star's room. Raven stumbled through the door of the main living area, groaning. Outside a storm was brewing, pelting rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows like gravel.

"Storm wake you up?" a groggy voice asked. A tall figure leaned against the counter. In the faint light that passed through the windows Raven could make out ebony hair, bristled into menacing spikes, leaving the angular face exposed save for the dark mask that obscured his eyes. Raven kept her face deadpan, hoping he wouldn't notice how surprised she was. She walked over to the kitchen and filled her kettle, setting it to boil a bag of tea on the stove. She stood stock still, staring at the kettle, unsure how to respond.

"Why are you up so late?" she asked, too drained to think of a sarcastic comeback. Always ask a question to avoid answering one. Raven saw Robin smile wanly out of the corner of her eye. Then his faint scowl returned. He clutched a mug of hot chocolate in one hand. His cape settled around his body the way her cloak might, concealing the bright colors of his uniform. In the shadows cast by the overhead cabinets he seemed to be almost another patch of darkness, at home in the night's soft embrace. For a brief moment Raven wondered how someone who always wore bright red, yellow, and green became so at ease in the dark. So like her.

"Slade," he said eventually. "I can't get him out of my head. There's been no sign of him since Beast Boy took out that Slade android and that white…thing. We know Slade made it, or at least sent it after us, but why has he stayed quiet for three months? It just doesn't make any sense."

"Are you sure miss sunshine and rainbows didn't wake you up?" Raven spoke an impulse. Why had she said anything? She didn't want to get involved. She never had. This whole thing made her feel…weird. One of the cabinet doors promptly detonated before she could get a lid on her powers. It was too dark for Robin to see the black energy that had encased it, but he wouldn't need to. Raven took her whistling kettle off the stove and poured herself a cup, trying to keep her face expressionless while wrestling for control over her emotions. Fortunately, she had a lifetime of practice with this. Robin was silent. Raven chanced a peek out of the corner of her eye. He was staring into his mug. Its contents were cold. He quietly picked up the cabinet door and placed it on the island.

"I never wanted to hurt her," he murmured, so quiet she could barely hear. Robin set his mug on the counter.

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you broke up with her," Raven muttered, with less venom in her voice this time. She was still wrestling with her emotions, but she could dimly perceive a heaviness on Robin's aura.

"I didn't." Raven stopped and turned toward him, quizzical, before taking a sip of her tea.

"Wait, Star told you that I broke up with her?" he asked.

"No."

"Then why would you assume that I broke up with her?"

"She's crying all the time, you two never spend time together, and…if you really didn't brake up with her then why is that still going on?" Raven gestured to the door. It was quieter in here than in her room, but she could still hear faint caterwauls. Raven instantly felt three emotions slam into her chest and another three cabinet doors exploded. Anger she was familiar with. Robin was usually caring, almost overprotective. He had gone to hell and back to save her. Every time Raven grew four eyes he would grill her to open up. This was just not like him. He should be a better boyfriend than this. Raven was also irritated that Robin was the reason she was up at three in the morning. But the third was harder to place. Raven took a deep breath, trying to quell the upsurge of emotion. She managed to lock her emotion down, and when she turned her attention back to the scene at hand Robin was looking at her strangely.

"Raven, are you ok?" he asked, voice soft. Immediately Raven was annoyed and strangely touched by his concern, and annoyed again because her emotions were running wild in a viscous cycle. This time she reined her emotions in before something exploded. She really needed her tea. Raven took a sip to steady herself and glowered at Robin over the top of the mug.

"_I'm_ fine," she said. "But Star is crying her head off up there, and if you're still her boyfriend then it's still your job to comfort her."

"I'm not her boyfriend anymore," Robin said, a touch of irritation creeping into his voice. "She broke up with me. And I did try to comfort her. That's how I got this." Robin turned his face and gestured to a rather spectacular bruise blossoming on his jaw that had been hidden from view in the shadows. Raven wasn't quite sure how to respond, so she didn't. But now that she was paying attention, Raven noticed the heaviness was a layer of quiet depression draped over his soul like layers of lead vests. She should have noticed earlier. The bond she shared with Robin had felt like a small metal ball at the back of her skull, dragging her down. But Raven had ignored it, already overwhelmed with her dreams. It occurred to her that this was the first time she had seen Robin since the last mission four days ago, and Raven felt a twinge of guilt.

As they stood there it dawned on Raven that Robin was the one they should have been trying to help. They had jumped to conclusions too quickly. Robin was the one who was really suffering. Robin glided on near silent feet to sit on the U-shaped couch. Raven crossed the room and sat down, leaving a good foot of space between her and Robin. Some part of her brain told her it was too much space. She set her tea down on the coffee table and tried to think of something helpful to say.

"Do you, uh, want to talk about it?" Raven winced at the sound of that. Great, now she was doctor Phil. Robin shook his head.

"Thanks, but I'm- I'll be ok." He mumbled. Robin took a deep breath like he was getting ready to do something painful. "It was puppy love. That's it." Robin blurted without warning. He stared at the floor like the carpet held the answers he needed. Raven thought she had kept her face deadpan, but when Robin looked up and saw her face he began to defend himself, his voice strained and defensive. "Don't get me wrong, Star's great, she really is. And she'll always be a good friend and she'll always be special to me, it's just..." he trailed off, searching for words before continuing. He spoke in a rush, like he was afraid Raven would leave before he could finish or that the words would choke him if he didn't speak.

"What held us together was weak, flimsy. We were just attracted to each other on a shallow scale, but we didn't want to admit it because we fit so well together before. And then she started latching onto me, questioning me when I left the room, bursting in on me in the bathroom." Robin paused for breath, a touch of rose coloring his cheeks. "And it felt too easy the whole time. Even when she was barging into my room while I was working on a Slade lead she was so easy to predict. Like, like- dating Star was like saying you want to go swimming and just sitting in a kiddy pool. We wanted a meaningful relationship, something that would last and touch us beyond friendship. But she was too easy read. Star didn't have any secrets, we already knew each other, and our relationship wasn't going to go any further. If you want to swim, really swim, you have to jump into the ocean, and Star wasn't an ocean for me. I felt good when I was with her, I felt special, but I felt special because of a joke I made or because of my martial arts skill out on the street. It was nice, very nice, but once she blocked me in battle, that's when it hit me: she was using me. She cares about me, but ultimately she never appreciated me for who I am. I am a fighter, a leader, my place is in the battle. She wanted me to sit on my hands and talk to her about how pretty her hair was or the glories of mustard or meaning of the word 'platypus'. I had been blinded by the novelty of someone giggling over me." Robin hung his head and glanced to the side, as if embarrassed. "You probably think I'm an idiot, don't you?"

"No, I don't," Raven murmured, her voice impossibly soft even to her ears.

"Raven, do you think I'm wrong to break up with her," he asked quietly. Raven took her time responding. Logically she knew she had no experience in this kind of thing. Part of her (the part that listened to Star's crying all the time) wanted to say yes. It would be so much easier for everyone if Robin just patched this up with Star and got back together. But that's not what a relationship is based on. She thought about Beast Boy and Terra. Terra had abandoned him, toyed with his emotions, betrayed him, and rejected him. But Beast Boy hadn't let that stop him from chasing her down time and time again. Raven had strived to understand why Beast Boy was so determined to hunt after Terra so many times, but she could never fully grasp it. Robin always went to greater lengths than anyone else to help a friend, yet he clearly lacked Beast Boy's almost maniacal passion on this point. Raven paused to consider the irony.

But she did understand being blinded by flirtatious affection. Raven cringed as she remembered Malchior. The dragon had charmed her so effortlessly, slipped through her carefully constructed emotional walls like a ghost, and wrapped himself around her heart. He had been charming, courteous, polite- the perfect gentleman. And he sympathized with Raven so easily. He had taken to time to know Raven, to understand her. Really he had been manipulating her into doing his bidding, had tricked her. It had taken Raven weeks before she discovered Malchior's true scheme. And even then she only found out because the spell that was supposed to free a handsome mage had unleashed a terrible dragon. Starfire wasn't nearly as bad, but Raven could relate nonetheless.

"Were you really happier being her boyfriend than you were being her friend?" Raven asked eventually.

"No," he said after a pause. "I much preferred being her friend."

"Then you did the right thing. Give it time. Star will come around eventually." Robin smiled at her, and Raven treated him to a small smile in return. Raven felt the first layer of depression slink off Robin's shoulders and vanish.

"So why were you up?" Robin inquired.

"Bad dreams," Raven said. Immediately she wanted to smack herself in the face. Why on earth did she say that? Now he was going to ask what was wrong. Raven mentally prepared herself for the slew of questions that was sure to follow.

"You were dreaming about Trigon," It was a statement, not a question. Raven narrowed her eyes, suspicious.

"How did you know?" she demanded.

"I didn't until just now," Robin said. "But we share a bond, remember. Ever since Japan something's been bugging you, and recently you've been off. I was worried, but by the time I had determined that you weren't just going through one of your solitary confinement stages, Star was so jealous that having a private conversation with you was almost impossible."

He had a point. Raven sometimes disappeared into her room for days or weeks for no particular reason. And the clingier Starfire became, the more jealous she became. Star had begun firing star bolts at random giggling girls in the days leading up to the bathroom incident, and not even Raven had been totally safe from the Tamaranean girl's suspicion.

"It's nothing," Raven muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. To her displeasure, Raven realized that she had left her cloak in her room.

"Raven, please, talk to me," Robin coaxed. Suddenly Raven couldn't hold it in any longer. Three months of absolute insanity broke forth and Raven's powers went haywire. Eight of the nine remotes popped, the microwave shattered, and the door of the bridge blew off. She sighed. Great. Now If she didn't tell him he'd badger her for weeks about it. Raven held out her hand and magically repaired the damaged appliances. Robin was still waiting. She wished she had more tea.

"Every time I go to bed I see Trigon destroying the city, those fiery demons, the Titans' destruction, Slade menacing me, you dying." Raven clutched her head in her hands, rubbing her temples, careful to keep her voice emotionless, though she could not suppress the tired drawl. "I have to watch it all again, I wake up, I fall asleep, and then I have to rewatch it every night. I can barely meditate or eat, sleep is more tiring than listening to Beast Boy's jokes. I'm almost at the point where I can't read," Raven continued, her voice becoming a touch more desperate. "Do you have any idea what it's like for me to not be able to read? And I just keep seeing it and seeing it and seeing it every night." She finished in a rush. Raven waited for a second. Robin didn't move.

Raven drained her tea in two big gulps and set the cub on the table. The tea had gone cold long ago and now she was shivering without her cloak. A pair of strong, thin arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her down, slowly, gently, but firmly. When her shoulder blade brushed against Robin's chest Raven initially shrank from the human contact, but he radiated comforting warmth like a hearth. Raven eased awkwardly onto his chest, and Robin tightened his arms around her waist. Surprise kept Raven stock still at first as they slowly lowered to their sides, facing the window, Robin's cape wrapped around her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been hugged by anyone except Starfire.

"I promise you, Rae," he murmured. "You don't ever have to worry about Trigon again. He's gone- you saw to that yourself. He is not your family. We are. And if Slade rears his head again, we'll remind him why it was smart to keep it down." Icy rain steamed against the glass, but inside it was warm. Raven placed her arm over one of Robin's. Her innate dislike of being touched was vying with something new, a warm feeling spreading through her chest.

Raven felt herself begin to relax into Robin's embrace, as slowly as a melting glacier. She lost track of how long she lay there with him, but after a while she could feel her eyelids closing and her pulse slowing. Raven would have been perfectly content to drift off to sleep right then and there. But she knew that would cause more problems, not to mention jokes, then it was worth. She slipped from Robin's arms and scooted to the side, stretching her arms by pushing down with locked joints like a cat.

Robin sat up and blinked owlishly. Raven saw the deep bags under his eyes, visible around the edges of his mask, and wondered if she had bags that dark under her eyes. She probably did. She wished she had her cloak so that she could draw up her cowl.

"I should be going to bed," she said. Raven knew she was blushing and silently thanked the inanimate shadows for shrouding it.

"Oh, ok," Robin said, voice slurred with sleep. His hair was bristling even more from lying on his side. Raven left the room before she did something illogical for the hundredth time that night and made an even bigger fool out of herself. She made a mental note to solve this sleep problem once and for all. Unchecked emotions and a sleep-deprived brain were not a good combination. Raven was almost to the door when a groggy voice from behind her called out, "Sweet dreams."

When Raven laid her head on the pillows, she fell asleep almost immediately. The only dream she had was of Robin stretching his hand out toward her in hell, smiling and saying, "It's ok, you're safe now."


	2. Return of an old Enemy

Chapter 2

Raven woke up better rested than she had been in weeks, though that wasn't saying much. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to savor the peace for a heartbeat longer. When her eyelids began to glow orange from the light of the rising sun peeking in through her windows, Raven admitted defeat and sat up, rubbing the heel of her hand against her face. She frowned, trying to remember last night. She knew she had woken up to get some tea and talked to Robin, but the events of last night were fragments of broken glass to her lethargic mind.

Raven forced herself to focus, trying to piece her scattered recollections into a complete picture. They had talked about Starfire. Yes, that was it. Starfire broke up with Robin, not the other way around. The team had been wrong about him. Not that it really mattered who broke up with whom, she reminded herself. It was all the same in the end, and it didn't concern her at all if Robin and Starfire broke up or stayed together. It wasn't her business to meddle with other's personal lives. So why did she feel a need to remember that Starfire was the one to end it, and why did it leave her so confused. Raven shook her head. Not her problem, she reminded herself.

She was reaching for her cloak when the rest of the night came to her with a jolt down her spine. Raven froze on her hands and knees, one arm reaching for her cloak thrown casually over the foot of her bed. Crap. Raven resisted the urge to groan. She had made a complete idiot out of herself. What did she think she was doing, cuddling with Robin? Raven reached a whole new level of self-loathing. She had cuddled with Robin. She, Raven, the semi-demonic daughter of Trigon, a sort of minor Anti-Christ, had cuddled- and with her leader, of all people. Raven swore that the next time she got that tired she would simply bash herself over the head until she passed out.

Raven emerged into the main room cautiously, pausing in the doorway to inspect the scene. Cyborg was tearing through a stack of waffles smothered in syrup, butter, and bacon. Beast Boy was scarfing down something that smelled faintly of burn plastic: tofu eggs and bacon. A quick scrutiny revealed Robin's lanky form leaning against a cabinet in the far corner of the kitchen, a good fifteen feet away from the stove. This was the first time in two weeks Raven had seen him down with the others at breakfast. Perhaps something good did come from last night. Then she reminded herself (again) that she wasn't supposed to care.

Raven walked quietly into the kitchen, barely registering Cyborg's hurried good morning. Raven saw that her kettle sat next to the sink, expecting her arrival. She glanced at Robin surreptitiously. He was resolutely staring his mug of coffee, seemingly lost in thought, his usual faint scowl decorating his features. Raven was glad for her hood. It covered the slight warmth in her sallow cheeks. As she stood over the kettle, waiting for the whistling steam to herald her soothing tea, the doors hissed open and Starfire totted in, puffy eyes webbed with dark crimson, long russet locks disheveled.

At first Starfire didn't seem to notice Robin. The alien slid into a chair next to Cyborg, dully returning his and Beast Boy's greetings. Robin walked wordlessly to the greatly diminished pile of eggs, waffles, and bacon on the stove and placed a little of each on a plate. He then placed a straw in the bottle of mustard and brought both over to the table. The Boy Wonder slid the plate and bottle in front of Starfire and took a step back.

Starfire looked up and recoiled slightly, surprised written all over her innocent face. Raven saw her glance down at the food, then at the motionless form of Robin nearby. Cyborg and Beast Boy had paused their gorging to stare at the pair as though suddenly realizing that they were in the presence of two wild tigers. For his part Robin gave the appearance of perfect calm. But Raven could see the tense muscles hiding beneath the casual stance; the boy was expecting an attack, proof that he wasn't a total idiot. Starfire stared at the breakfast again and took a tentative sip of the mustard. After a moment she looked back at Robin and smiled very slightly.

Robin eased out of his tense stance and returned the smile before going back to his place at the end of the counter. Starfire started to eat, and Beast Boy sighed hugely. Cyborg grinned over at Raven and mouthed _It's about time_. Raven started to smile then turned back to her kettle. It had been steaming for some time now. She poured herself a scalding cup and nearly gagged on the ruined drink. But something else had already left a foul taste in her mouth. Raven thought for a moment, once more trying to determine what manner of emotion threatened the health of her friends.

She frowned slightly, irritated. It wasn't any of her business what went on between Robin and Starfire. If anything, she should be happy for the two of them. It was good that they were patching things up. Raven didn't like to see her friends unhappy. And from a logical perspective it was healthy for the team. Robin and Starfire had done almost nothing but get in each other's way while they were fighting. They were only alive because nothing bigger than a minor robbery had been committed within the past few weeks. Maybe they would even work out their differences and get back together. But it wasn't her business.

So why did Raven feel an unpleasant jerk around her navel at the thought. She drank another sip of her disgusting tea and stared into the sink, only vaguely aware of Cyborg and Beast Boy's arguing as they left. Starfire lingered for a few minutes before drifting out through the door, the first time she had flown at all in days.

Raven could feel Robin coming closer as he followed the Tamaranean princess. Raven's stomach tightened slightly, and she forced herself to be calm. Whatever was wrong with her, she had to get it under control, and fast.

As Robin drew level with her, he paused and said her name quietly. Raven turned to face him, keeping her face blank. He tilted his head and smiled at her. It was a small, secretive smile, and Raven felt like it was just for her.

"Thanks for the advice," Robin said. Raven could feel the warmth return to her cheeks. "And if you ever need to talk," Robin tapped the side of his head. "I'm always here for you."

"Cliché much," Raven muttered. Robin's smile lingered, and Raven heard the ghost of a chuckle before he walked away. The closing hiss of the doors sounded final to Raven, as though confirming that something had begun and something else ended. Raven exhaled loudly and ran her fingers through her hair. She needed to meditate. Robin was just thanking her for some advice and trying to solve everyone else's problems- as usual. Last night they were both emotionally high strung and very, very tired. That was it. Nothing unusual was going on. And it was over anyway. _He said thank you, now you're done._

So why did the little jolt in her navel vanish when he thanked her? In its place a strange lightness had infected her muscles, making her feel almost ethereal in the best of ways. Raven suddenly had the ridiculous urge to smile. She gulped down her tea before anything burst into flames. The tea had the desired calming effect on her, but she had let it get cold again. Raven shuddered, and her stomach jumped as if startled by the large quantity of lukewarm tea. Raven wrapped the edges of her cloak around her body a little tighter, feeling her skin start to prickle. For a split second she felt an insane desire for Robin to hold her so that she'd be warm again.

Raven held her hand to her face and chanted her mantra, trying to gain some semblance of mental stability. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos …" Raven began to hover in the lotus position, continuing her chant. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos… Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Raven sighed, welcoming the relative calm meditation and tea had begun to induce.

There was nothing weird going on between her and Robin. She was just over stressed. All she needed was a few hours of meditation, some more tea, maybe a good book. And peace. Yes, she needed just a day of peace and quiet to feel normal. Or at least what passed for normal with her, Raven thought dryly.

And, of course, that was the exact moment when the alarm began blaring and flooding the tower with red light. Raven tugged her hood more securely over her head. She had never, not once in her doom laden life, been able to catch a break.

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Raven didn't mind riding in the T-car all that much. She preferred flying, but Cyborg liked to have someone come in the car with him. Besides, if anything went wrong Raven could levitate or protect the car so that Cyborg wouldn't blow up with the gasoline-filled engine. And it was quiet in the T-car. Or at least quieter than in was in most cars as long as Cyborg didn't say anything. And Cyborg knew Raven pretty well. One look at her face, and he had stopped talking altogether. Raven could only pray that one day Beast Boy would be that perceptive.

Raven leaned her head against the window, slowing chanting her mantra. She placed one hand against the dashboard. She had helped build this car. She and Cyborg, working together in the garage for hours on end, just working and enjoying each other's company. Good memories, peaceful memories.

As if he was the one with telepathic powers, Cyborg tapped her shoulder and pointed to a small cluster of colorful buttons Raven had set into place under his careful instruction. Raven returned his grin with a small smile of her own. He pressed one of the buttons and opened the GPS. They were almost there.

Raven stepped out of the car as soon as they arrived. Starfire landed on the other side of the car with a slight stumble. A dark green hawk perched on the sidewalk before reverting to a winded Beast Boy. Robin was standing in front of their destination, a high-end jewelry store called _Two's Company_. No shattered glass, no busted walls, no monsters- it looked to be another boring robbery.

Robin walked through the doors without preamble. When Raven pushed aside the plane of glass she could immediately see the smashed jewelry cases and missing gems. She scanned the store with an objective eye. Whoever had done this had experience with this kind of work. They had gotten the alert four minutes ago, and the guy was already gone. Not bad for a seven a.m. job.

Raven frowned. Something was wrong. The employees inside weren't just unsettled- they were terrified. And they were grouped in pairs. All of the employees were standing in groups of two in different locations, arms held stiffly at their sides, lips trembling, tears streaming down their faces. An unconscious guard lay sprawled on the floor. A huge bruise covered half his forehead. Raven took a step toward him, and her boot squeaked faintly on the polished floor, skidding a little. Raven didn't think much of it until she heard Star's gasp behind her.

Turning around, Raven saw two more men in Jump City security uniforms slumped against the wall on either side of the door. Raven looked down to see a few drops of blood on the floor by her feet, just enough for her to slip in. Robin was kneeling by the unconscious guard's head. He grazed the tips of his green gloves over the bruise, pushing back his hairline to see the extent of the damage. A small cut, just at the crown of the head, bled a slow, sticky crimson drop onto the floor.

Raven couldn't feel any hostile presences nearby, so she strode toward Robin and the wounded man.

"Raven, do you think you could-" Robin started, but Raven already had her hands over the wound. She concentrated for a moment, and the wound healed, leaving only a small spot of discoloration on his skin. Robin stood and walked toward a twenty-something year old woman with a manager clip pinned to her shirt. Raven followed two steps behind.

"What happened here?" Robin asked. The woman gulped and licked her lips. Raven noticed that she took a moment to look Robin up and down before talking. Raven wondered why she even bothered to notice.

"Well, it started like any other day. We started getting the shop ready for the day when a car pulled up outside. We ignored it at first, but I remember thinking it was weird that the driver just idled in front of the store few a little while before he killed the engine. Then two guys get out of the front and open the door for someone in the back. And I was interested because I thought he might be someone rich. His suit looked really expensive, all black and white like a tuxedo. Then the rich guy walks in with the other two following, and when i saw his face I thought I was going to puke right then and there."

"Why? Did he look like Beast Boy in the morning?" Cyborg joked, ruffling his hand in the shape shifter's hair so that it stood up in all directions like it did when he woke up.

"Hey!" Beast Boy piped up. "At least I have hair."

"Oh you did not just go there," Cyborg said, turning on him. Robin cleared his throat and shot them a pointed glare, and the pair quieted. For now. Raven rolled her eyes. Boys. She turned back to the manager as she continued her story. Robin began to pace.

"Well, anyway the ugly guy comes up to the counter and pulls out a gun. Then he tells us to throw any rings we're wearing on the ground and stand in groups of two. Mark and Terry, the guards by the door, go to taser him, and his goons turn and knock them out with their gun barrels. But Jim got to the guy in the suit and tells him to lie on the floor. Well suit-man turned and knocks Jim silly with a punch to the gut and hits him on the head with his gun barrel too. So we all go to stand in groups of two like he said, and that's when I hit the button to call you guys, as I walked past the check out counter. Well those guys cleared out the best we had pretty quick, and one of his goons asked if they should raid the register. And then the guy in the suit did something really funny. He took out a shiny coin and flipped it. Then he told the goon no, the money stayed." Robin froze in mid pace and whirled to face her.

"He flipped a coin?" Robin asked. The woman nodded. Raven was almost bowelled over by the wave of emotion that rolled out from Robin: shock, disbelief, anger. Especially anger. His face twisted into a scowl deeper than any he had worn while they faced Slade. "What happened then?" Robin demanded. The woman shrank back and when she spoke her voice was shaky.

"Well the other goon asked if they were going to kill us, and so the ugly guy in the suit flipped his coin again. And then he said that we were gonna live too, and they left." The woman trailed off, staring at Robin's face. But Robin was staring resolutely at the ground. After a moment Starfire spoke up. Raven was little alarmed at how course her voice was, and at how quiet she had been throughout all of this.

"I do not understand what the meaning behind the coin flipping is. It is some manner of making choices, is it not?"

"Yeah, but only for little things that don't matter much, not life or death situations." Cyborg said, frowning. The half-robot turned back to the manager. "What do you remember about his car?" That was Cyborg, trying to latch onto details he could use, could remember.

"It wasn't anything special. I didn't see a license plate or logo on it either, sorry." The manager said.

"And you said this guy was wearing a tuxedo?" Beast Boy asked, confusion written all over his face, just like when he had played Sudoku that one time.

"Not exactly a tuxedo," the manager corrected. "It was a suit. The left half was black, and the right half was white." Raven mentally catalogued the information, building an image of the perpetrator.

"Please, what of the coin he flipped?" Starfire asked.

"It was a quarter, I think. One side was normal, but the other side was so scratched up that you couldn't see the picture." She responded. Robin was resolutely staring at the floor, arms crossed so tightly Raven doubted he'd be able to untangle them by himself. Everyone stood in silence, staring at the Titans' leader, waiting for him to give some sign of life. After a good sixty seconds Raven realized that she was going to have to be the one to ask the big question.

"When you said he was ugly, what did you mean?"

"Well, he wasn't all ugly. The right side of his face was gorgeous really. But the left side-"

"The left half of his face was blue, wasn't it? The skin was covered in bumps and welts, the lips stretched back away from his teeth, the eye yellow and wide. The hair on the left side was white, too." With that Robin turned and walked out without another word. As Raven watched him go, something made her reach out to the bond between them, the bond she had formed when he was seeing Slade in every shadow and no one else could. Raven's mind touched his, and all she felt were waves of pain, fear, sadness…and hatred, colder and stronger than any she had felt in life. Except Trigon's, that is.


	3. The Hated Coin and Loving Raven

Hey guys, thanks for being so patient. I'm in my Junior year of high school, and right now they're trying to see how much work they can give us before we die, so I'm not going to be publishing very quickly, sorry. And thank you, psychic soul, for your review and loyalty. You're right, the next few chapters will be T, but don't worry, the big M is coming. And just a heads up, this chapter is mostly thoughts and memories, not a lot of action. I plan on making up for that later on. Enjoy!

Note: I play around with the wording of these chapters after I publish them, so if you reread a chapter you might find it's a little different.

**Ghosts of the Living**

Robin stood in his room, hands on the desk in the center of the floor, staring at the evidence cluttered surface without really seeing it. He could still hear that voice so perfectly, even after all these years.

_"What do you want us to do with him, boss?" _

The flip of the coin. Sometimes, when he dreamed, that's all he saw, that coin, eternally flipping in space, oh so slowly. In those dreams he never saw it land. He never needed to.

_"Kill him."_

Such a simple response. And such a simple way to decide. It was then that Robin had his first inkling of the word psychopath. Every time he had looked at Slade, he had seen the same calmness, the same lack of morality, lack of concern, that which made them so horrific, so cruel. So deadly.

Robin stared into the single eyehole of the Slade mask on the table. This one he had never moved, never touched. He saw Slade every day. Slade had made him, had changed him. Without Slade, Robin would be a different person. Every time he looked into the mirror, he saw Slade's work, his pride, his determination, his drive. But not his skill. Hard as he might try, Slade was always a touch better than him. That is, Slade had been before he became a skeleton.

Perhaps that's why Robin had been drawn to Bruce. He had the same determination, the same ruthless ambition, the same single-minded pursuit of a goal, and the same drive Robin had seen in that divided face. Bruce had put those talents to the opposite use, directly opposing the man who had given the order to kill him, to end his parents' lives. The man who utterly destroyed Robin's world and the man who built him a new world, a fierce world of shadows and strength- how similar they were.

Robin did not resent Bruce- not anymore, at least. Bruce had given Robin another chance at life, in more ways than one. He had taught Robin to use his skills not to entertain, but to subdue, to conquer, and to never kill. Bruce had brought light to Robin's life in the form of shadows. Bruce had re-forged the orphaned child into Robin, Boy Wonder. Bruce became Robin's father, his savior, his mentor. Mentor. Slade had spilled bile on those words, mentor and apprentice. But Robin would always remember who his true mentor was. He could not possibly forget.

Robin left in part because it was all too obvious whom the mentor was. He disliked living in the Dark Knight's shadow, sometimes quite literally. He wanted room to do things his way, to fight his own battles, to be a hero in his own right. But he couldn't forget what finally made him leave.

It had been the Joker again. Once more Robin's leader was a violent, obsessed maniac. Robin could remember him raising the Joker by the throat, slamming his back into the wall, demanding to know where the bombs were. When Robin told him it was enough, Batman had turned to him, eyes incredulous, shocked and angry that Robin was interfering. In that moment, Robin realized that his hero was just as ruthless as his enemies, he just fought on the other side. Robin left that night. He hadn't seen or heard from his mentor since.

Robin picked up the Slade mask, staring at the smooth metal. He understood Batman now. Robin had found his own Joker in Slade. He had put his team through the same thing. And they had never backed out on him. Not once. It made Robin feel despicable every time he thought about the confusion, the surprise in Batman's masked eyes as he walked away, leaving the Cape Crusader holding his worst enemy against the brick. Every time he thought about it, it only made Robin more determined to protect his team. Every last one of them.

As Robin stared at the mask, the black and orange morphed into a two toned face, one side smooth and chiseled, the other a wasteland of scarred flesh. The name of the jewelry store flashed through his mind: Two's Company. That was half of the reason for the attack. Robin mentally studied the layout of the store when he walked on: one guard on each side of the door, jewelry cases smashed symmetrically on the left and right. Even before the manager described him, the whole place had reeked of him.

He was not just another villain. He was Robin's darkest nightmare, what he used to see when Scarecrow gassed him. Robin gritted his teeth, remembering the nickname the deranged ex-lawyer had given him just a week into his life at Robin. Somehow he had always managed to outsmart Robin, no matter how careful Robin tried to play it, just like Slade. The man who killed his parents, the man who ordered Robin to be killed, the man who spurred him to become Robin and first don the mask, the man who had affected his life more than Slade and almost as much as Batman- that was the man Robin was now charged to catch.

Robin didn't know whether he was scared or invigorated at the prospect.

Robin straightened his back, staring solidly at the back wall without really seeing it. Usually Starfire would have come in to check on him at least once by now. For perhaps the millionth time since he joined the Titans, Robin felt a fleeting pang of sympathy for Bruce. That was another lesson Bruce had taught him, and Robin was only now starting to appreciate it: it was possible to find a wonderful girl who just didn't fit with you. Robin rubbed the back of his neck. Was this how Bruce felt every time he thought of Zatanna?

Love could be so powerful. It could build a person up to new heights, give him the strength of a dozen men, move boulders, shake the world, and withstand a lifetime of suffering. But it could also leave a man a hollow, empty shell, crippling him with pain worse than any physical wound. Robin had seen Bruce struggling with that pain. Robin remembered sitting at the dinner table and watching out of the corner of his eye as Bruce stared into a bowl of soup, neither moving nor speaking nor crying. He would just sit there, remembering the necessary and painful mission of the night before. Robin would keep silent during those meals, loathe to disturb the ailing man with a careless word or over-used phrase. Robin wondered how Selena was, if she was still stealing, if she still had those mountain lions. In a way, Robin was glad he and Star had ended it when they did, before things became too intense, too powerful. This hurt, but the pain would begin to fade soon. Maybe it already was.

Robin remembered last night and smiled. She had actually let him share his feelings. Raven had looked dead on her feet, and she hadn't seemed to notice that she was swaying back and forth the whole time. Robin thought she was going to pass out before he could get everything off his chest. And she had still been able to provide insight that he couldn't think up after weeks of obsessive reflection. He had certainly never expected her to reciprocate and confide in him. It was touching that she trusted him. Raven's trust was like a ruby mined from the earth- difficult to find, harder to dig up, and precious.

Robin still wasn't one hundred percent sure why he had held her. Partly to comfort her, party out of gratitude for opening up, if he had to guess. But there was something else there too. Raven had looked so tired, her back bowed like the weight of the world rested on it, eyes dead from the trauma of nightmares. And she had seemed so small, so fragile, so deceptively vulnerable. Robin had felt the same need to comfort her as he had after Slade tore off her clothes, the same need to protect her as he had when it looked like Beast Boy had attacked her. He felt closer to her now, as if the empathetic bond they shared had been strengthened not with magic as it had been before, but with simple, honest words of concern.

Truth be told, after he wrapped his arms around her he had expected to be chucked into another dimension. Robin's brain had told him to let go immediately after the initial contact, but Raven had surprised him- as usual. Her skin glowed faintly like pearl in the dim light from the windows. Robin had been enraptured by her long legs disappearing into the midnight leotard that clung to her curvy body like a second skin. Raven's body had initially been cold against his, but she progressively became warmer and more comfortable as they cuddled. She was soft in a very feminine way, but he had felt her lean muscles hiding beneath. Robin could still feel his fingers tingling from the raw power that hummed beneath her skin like a caged animal waiting to be released. When he had held Raven, Robin felt like he was embracing a young panther: dark, gorgeous, and deadly.

No wonder Bruce was drawn to Selena.

Robin set down the Slade mask and stretched, cramped muscles protesting weakly after being hunched over for so long. He ran a hand through his hair, spiking it further. His hair was naturally so untidy he needed more gel to flatten the spines than he did to maintain them. Robin put his face in his hand. This was way too much deep thinking for a Tuesday.

A knock on the door surprised him. The team knew better than to disturb Robin when he holed himself up in his room. Only Starfire ever checked to see if he wanted to socialize, and this person was knocking far too quietly. Robin strode toward the door. A pair of striking violet eyes stared up at him from the depths of a blue hood.

"Raven," Robin greeted, unable to hide his surprise. She was the last person he was expecting. "What are you doing here?"

"Trying to gain some sanity," came the scathing reply. "Beast Boy and Cyborg have been arguing over who should go talk to you since we got home. I'd had enough after six hours."

"What are they fighting about now?" Robin asked, still not getting why Raven had come to see him. "Wait, six hours? No way I've been here for six hours."

"We got home six hours ago," she corrected him. "You were already in your room when we got here." Robin frowned. Had he really been standing here for six hours? He couldn't have, could he?

"And they were arguing over who was going to see what's wrong with you." Raven continued.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Robin asserted. The small portion of Raven's face he could see remained blank.

"You described the crook better than the security cameras could. Then you left the interrogation early. You _never_ leave anything early, especially not an interrogation." Robin didn't respond. "If you had stayed you might have learned a few details, like-"

"The two goons with him were twins," Robin supplied. He thought he saw her raise an eyebrow.

"Have you been hiding any telepathic powers from us?" Raven asked.

"No," Robin responded, turning to face into his room. The walls were blanketed with newspaper clippings from criminals Robin had fought and put behind bars, but only those from Jump City. None would help with this particular villain.

"Robin," Raven persisted. Robin turned to face her. She stood stoically in the doorway, making no move to come closer. Her face remained hidden, but Robin got the feeling that she was embarrassed. He mentally cursed himself; that was the last thing he had wanted to do.

"I don't need a billboard to know that something's wrong with you," she said with a tap on her hood. "I could feel your turmoil when you left the store. And I've been able to feel you stewing in here for the past six hours. It's…disturbing." Raven presented an uncaring façade, but Robin heard the monotone waver minutely on the word disturbing. Her eyes betrayed only the tiniest traces of emotion, but they spoke volumes to him. She was concerned about him.

"It's ok, Rae," Robin said. "That guy who robbed the jewelry store, I know who he is. I used to fight him before I moved to Jump City, before the Titans."

Raven looked away for a moment, clearly uncomfortable. After a minute she drifted over to the wall and stared at a clipping from the day she beat Mumbo Jumbo inside his own hat. Robin smiled. He might be the leader, but Raven was easily smarter than him. Robin grabbed the Slade mask and leaned against the wall next to the article she was reading. He stared at the mask and took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say next.

"You don't have to tell me anything," Raven said hurriedly.

"No, I want to tell you," Robin said, adjusting his position on the wall. Raven drew her arms into her cloak and stilled, somewhere between cautious and curious.

Robin took another deep breath.

"How much how much do you know about my life before the Titans?" Robin asked, suddenly shy.

"Not much, only what you told us when you showed us your old circus costume in the case Ding Dong Daddy stole." Raven replied. Robin chuckled. He couldn't believe anyone had gone to all that trouble to steal his old circus costume. That was the first time he really talked to his friends about his life before the Titans.

"Well, the guy who robbed the jewelry store is the reason I left the circus," Robin said, suppressing the tears that threatened to rise. "He killed my parents during the grand finale of the show. A touch of poetic irony, I guess. After that, I fled the circus. There was nothing left for me there without my parents, and I knew the other performers couldn't protect me."

"He's the one who pushed them off the trapeze?" Raven asked. Robin started.

"How did you-"

"When we first formed the bond I saw an image of two people falling from a trapeze in a circus and felt your panic." She said quietly. There was sympathy in her voice, and guilt. Robin found that wasn't mad.

"He didn't push them, but yeah, he tampered with their trapeze equipment so that they'd fall." Robin shot Raven a sidelong glance. "Did you see anything else when we bonded?" Raven looked a little awkward and strangely curious at the same time.

"Just, your shadow, on a cave wall. You had your hand raised like you were swearing to something to someone in the shadows. You looked like you were about the same age as when your parents died."

"Yeah." Robin remembered that day. It was branded into his brain. "That was when I started working with Batman. That night I became Robin."

"Beast Boy said something about that once, but I didn't know if he was telling the truth or not." Raven said.

"For once Beast Boy was right. I started training with Batman just a few weeks after my parents died. What you saw was the oath he made me take before I became Robin. After that he pretty much raised me." Robin grinned, remembering silent nights leaping from rooftop to rooftop with Batman like a pair of giant, dangerous squirrels. Robin looked up at Raven.

"You think things are bad here? Try a night patrol in Gotham. Cinderblock's pathetic compared to Clayface. Mad Mod, Doctor Light, Control Freak- those guys are _nothing_ compared to the Joker. And Batman would take them all out one-by-one. He was incredible."

"Sounds like you miss him," Raven said. Her cloak flickered briefly with a few dark flames. Robin raised an eyebrow. Raven's face was still concealed from view, but her voice sounded oddly strained.

"Sometimes," Robin admitted. "I'm only now starting to appreciate some of what Bat tried to teach me. But I left for a reason. And I never, never regretted becoming a Titan. I've never wanted to leave you. Or the rest of the team." Robin added hastily. He had no idea why he had said that. All he could think about now was spooning Raven on the couch.

Robin desperately cleared his mind. He didn't want her to know he had been thinking about that. Raven tilted her head down and didn't say anything. Robin hoped to God she hadn't read his mind.

"So are you going to be ok, you know, fighting the person who killed your parents?" Raven asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so."  
"You're going to try not to be insanely obsessed with catching him? Or at least no more than usual?" Robin laughed at this last comment.

"I'll try," Robin promised. Raven stared at the ground for a moment, then looked back up at him.

"You know, you don't have to be fearless," she said haltingly. "I mean, I know you're not a coward, but we all have our personal demons. It's ok to be afraid. You don't have to prove anything by taking him out single-handed." Robin sighed and stared at the floor.

"I know that in my head. It's just…he's not an ordinary villain. He completely destroyed my life. Every time I fought him, he'd find some way to outsmart me, trap me, beat me. I always knew that we would end it some day; just the two of us, but it's been years since I saw him outside of a dream. Now I have a chance to get revenge, put him behind bars myself, and I don't know if I'll be able to do it. I don't know if I have the strength." Robin muttered.

It was quiet for so long Robin thought Raven had left. He felt rather than saw something nearby. He looked up at Raven, who stood awkwardly in front of him. She shifted as if trying to decide what to do. She reached out with slow jerky movements to wrap her arms around him in such a way that only her fingertips touched him. She tapped his back twice and pulled back several steps, cheeks visibly red even in the shadow of her hood. Robin tilted his head, utterly confused.

"What was that?"

"Um, a hug?" she muttered, so quietly Robin could barely hear her. Robin didn't know whether to laugh or shake the young woman standing in front of him and demand to know where Raven was. Raven. Did not. Hug. Except for last night…

Slowly it occurred to Robin that Raven was worried about him. The idea of Raven worrying about him, about whether he was afraid, was odd, but at the same time it gave this warm feeling he really couldn't explain. Raven was still standing there, staring at the floor.

"That wasn't a hug," Robin said. Raven looked up at him, scowling, and opened her mouth to retort, but Robin cut her off. "This is a hug."

Robin covered the distance between them in one long step and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her toward him. Her hood fell from her head as she stumbled forward. His hands rested on the small of her back, thumbs against the bottom of her ribcage, not crushing her to him but applying just enough force to keep her still. She was like a statue at first, arms stiff at her side and body rigid as a board. Robin laid his chin on her sinewy shoulder, and after a moment he felt her loosen. After a second or two, Raven looped her arms around his waist and pulled herself closer to him.

Raven's breasts felt increasingly warm against his chest. She moved her legs so that her bare thighs pressed against his own, and the warmth grew. Robin held her flush, and Raven nestled her chin into his shoulder with a contented sigh. He could feel the tension trickling out of her body like snowmelt. Robin gently rubbed one hand against her back. She was impossibly soft in a way that had nothing to do with weakness or cowardice, so much softer than he ever could have guessed. He breathed in deeply, quietly, and found that she still smelled of cold water and stone and shadowed places

Robin relaxed further into the embrace and pressed her to him a bit more firmly. Raven's only reaction was to wrap her arms tighter around him. A feeling of contentment spread through his being. This felt so much more intimate than anything he had done with Starfire. It was a simple, calm gesture, beautiful in its perfect silence and peace. This hug seemed more meaningful somehow, maybe because neither of them was dead-on-their-feet-tired. Robin would have been completely happy to stay that way for hours and not think about anything other than his teammate pressed against him. Naturally, that was when the alarm went off for the second time today.

Raven stepped back and put up her hood, not looking at him. Robin shook his head slightly, already back in fighter mode. But as they ran to the main room, Robin couldn't resist reaching out and grabbing Raven's shoulder. She turned to look at him, her face a mask once more.

"Hey, Raven," Robin said. He smiled. "Thanks. For Everything."

Ok, another hug, now from Robin's point of view. And those of you who can read between the lines, you know that the relationship is picking up, and that this wasn't a waste of your time. I'm going to be really busy with an English report, but I promise, the next two chapters will have a lot more actual action than this. I'll try to get it up by next weekend. Until then, _**REVIEW!**_


	4. Casino Prizes: All Or Nothing

Ok, everyone, I'm sorry for the sloppiness of my past few chapters, I suck at editing.

"Can't this thing go any faster, Cyborg?"

"The T-car can go over three hundred miles-per-hour if I wanted her to."  
"Then how is Robin still ahead?"

"Raven, we're in a school zone."

Raven groaned and banged her head against the window. The report had only said someone had planted explosives in the Double Jackpot Casino. As soon as he heard the casino's name Robin had sped off on his motorcycle, and Raven didn't want him to get there first. She had a feeling that if Robin got there early he wouldn't wait for the rest of them. It was clear that Robin was NOT mentally stable enough for this. Then again, she wasn't much better. Raven's emotions were in turmoil, and she half expected every school bus they passed to fly off the street.

Fortunately, Cyborg made good time, and in two minutes Raven could see the pair of four story light-up dollar signs that marked the casino. They arrived seconds after Robin, but that was already too late. In the time it took Raven to get out of the car Robin had already ditched his helmet and run inside. As Raven followed, she could hear Cyborg's heavy footsteps clunking behind her. She only hoped that Starfire and Beast Boy weren't far behind.

Raven's initial impression of the casino was a dirty, plain room with a scattering of gambling machines, many of which had been smashed and looted. Robin stood next to the pool table, hands raised to attack. As Raven floated to his side, she noticed that two groups of citizens were tied and gagged to pillars by the back wall, one group on the far right, the other on the far left. The metallic clicking of Cyborg's sonic cannon on her right brought Raven's attention to the trio of men standing ten feet in front of her. The two on the left and right didn't concern her. Redheads, twins, matching black suits, machine guns. Nothing special. But the man in the middle, he was a whole different story.

He looked exactly as Robin had described him, right down to the multicolored hair. What caught Raven's attention was his mind. Most of the criminals she had faced gave off an aura of insanity or simple delusion on one level or another. But the emotions rolling off of this guy were different. Raven's senses were immersed in perfectly equal measures of joy and anger, but the anger was layered over the joy, controlling and subduing it. Instead of the slightly manic passion Raven had become accustomed to, this guy's demeanor was totally calm, almost like the prophets of Azarath. He had an air of neither fear nor anticipation, merely patience, like he was waiting to see an event and the outcome didn't matter much.

Raven readied herself for an attack, but nobody seemed in a hurry to do anything. the goons with the machine guns, glanced at their boss every once in awhile and took their cues from him. He didn't move at all, merely stood still and watched Robin's livid face. Cyborg was charged and ready to fire, but he noticed Robin's stillness and hesitated. Raven took the time to study her opponents further.

Oddly enough, all three seemed to recognize Robin. The goons had both their guns aimed on Robin, almost completely ignoring Raven and Cyborg. Their fear undulated over Raven, submerging her. Only long years of practice allowed her to ignore it. But the man in the middle was smiling, like he and Robin were old friends at a reunion. At that moment Starfire burst through the doors, eyes and hands glowing green. A verdant baboon followed close behind. Raven hoped it was Beast Boy. The Titans stood in a line with Robin at their center. Five to three odds, and the goons with machine guns were ordinary humans. The man with the split face chuckled.

"Well well, long time no see, Boy Hostage." His voice had two levels to it, just like his emotions. Raven could still tell that at one time it had been a smooth, pleasant baritone, but now it was deep and gravelly, inherent rage incorporated into the words.

Robin was shaking slightly, whether from fury or fear, Raven couldn't tell. Robin ground out two words like they were venomous rocks.

"Two Face."

Two Face chuckled again.

"You know this guy?" Cyborg asked. Robin didn't respond.

"You mean you didn't tell your little friends where you came from?" Two Face asked with a wicked sneer. Starfire and Beast Boy hesitated, glancing at Robin. Two Face kept going.

"Been awhile since we last met. I'd heard you had moved, but I just thought the Bat had realized how hopeless you were and put you on a shelf until you were mature enough, like a wheel of cheese." Two Face laughed again, and his goons managed a couple of Neanderthal chuckles. "Now look at you, head of your own wannabe Junior Justice League." Another laugh. "So you ditched Batman, huh? Little birdie finally left the nest, did he? Just as well, you might manage to escape the bounty on your old boss, _Boy Hostage_."

Raven had to end this. Two Face knew exactly what to say to unhinge Robin, and it was working faster than anything Slade had ever said or done. Even the rest of the team was disturbed. Cyborg's sonic canon was wavering, all of his attention on Robin. Beast Boy had morphed back into a human and was staring at Robin with wide, curious eyes. Starfire had dropped to the floor, her depression and anger temporarily forgotten. Raven had to do something fast, or they would be totally unprepared when those machine guns came to life.

"Enough," she said. Raven hated the way everyone turned to her when she said that. Her skin crawled at all the attention, but she had to get them back on track. Raven held out hands glowing with black fire. She thought about how this man was intentionally unnerving Robin, throwing him and the rest of the team into disarray. She focused that anger and felt her powers respond accordingly. Her cloak billowed around her as every slot machine, billiard's table, and bar stool rose into the air, encased in black energy. The level of energy she was channeling surprised her. The goons switched their guns to her and clicked the safety off.

Raven prepared to send every smashing into the creeps when Robin rasped, "Wait." Raven reluctantly lowered the furniture. Robin turned back toward Two Face. "What do you mean, bounty?" Two Face smirked.

"There's a price on the head of every Bat-Brat on the planet. But I don't suppose you'd care, since you're hiding out in your clubhouse with your little friends, safe and sound while the bounty hunters score Gotham. There'll be two less Bats in the world before the month is out."

Robin drew his bo staff, extending it to full length. The other Titans rallied behind him, ready to kick butt. Raven called back her anger, and the furniture levitated once more. The redheads re-aimed their guns.

"I'm done with the reunion," Robin growled through clenched teeth. Two Face offered out a hand.

"Then let's settle this, just between old friends." Robin started.

"Don't be an idiot, Robin." Raven snapped. "You don't have anything to prove, remember?" She tried to project her thoughts to his mind through the bond they shared, but she had never attempted to access the bond before and it would take too long to figure it out. She had to settle for staring him in the eyes and willing him not to do anything stupid. Her emotions began churning. Robin stared back at her, waves of anger and confusion rippling away from him.

"Sure, listen to your girlfriend. You can let her get shot straight to hell for you." Raven retained her deadpan. Robin and Starfire wore equal expressions of rage. Robin retracted the bo and put it back in his belt.

"Let's finish this, Trash-Face," Robin growled. Two Face's goons stepped back, leaving thirty feet of space between their boss and themselves. Cyborg trained his sonic canon on them. Raven told herself not to worry. Robin had gone hand-to-hand with Slade and beaten Cinderblock all by himself. He had a whole utility belt full of gadgets to use. Two Face didn't even appear to have a weapon. Robin would end this fight in seconds. So why was every molecule in her body screaming at her to bring the roof down on Two Face RIGHT NOW?

Robin took three steps forward and to the right before he charged. He swung with a haymaker that would have knocked Beast Boy out for a week. Two Face swayed to the right and landed a solid punch on Robin's eye. Robin stumbled back a pace and went for a roundhouse kick. Two Face ducked, and Robin's foot grazed his shoulder. Two Face staggered and lashed out twice. The first punch missed Robin's face, but the second struck him full on the stomach.

They continued to fight like this. Raven's concern slowly gave way to horror and awe. Robin's fighting skills were incredible. Raven had never seen anyone, except Slade, who could compare. Two Face was a little stronger and faster than Raven had expected, but he wasn't anything special. He didn't have Robin's talent, his almost effortless grace, or his leopard-like ferocity and cunning. But he shared Robin's determination. And he knew Robin very, very well. He seemed to be able to predict five out of every six moves Robin made and either dodge or brace himself for the hit and strike a blow of his own.

Robin hurled a bird-a-rang, and Two Face just barely dodged. The older man hit Robin in the shoulder, and Raven winced at the sound it made. Robin staggered back and paused, eyes narrowed to tiny slits amid the black and purple bruises as he glared at Two Face, planning his next move. Two Face's right leg was stiff, and his nose was bleeding copiously but other than that he seemed ok.

"You've gotten soft without Batman here to hold your hand, Bird Boy," Two Face sneered. "Maybe it's best you left him- Batman would've died of shame if he had seen you now. Ha, I've gone toe to toe with him a few times since you left; he'd have beaten me three minutes ago if it'd been him fighting."

Robin bared his teeth and threw himself at Two Face. Two Face swung at him, and Raven didn't see what happened next. Suddenly Robin's and Two Face's backs were facing Raven. Raven levitated a few feet in the air and saw that Two Face's arm was bent behind his back at an angle it wouldn't have been able to make even if he was double jointed.

"Batman didn't teach me that one," Robin spat. His face remained scowling, but Raven felt a wave of horror and self-loathing flood him after he said these words.

"Aargh, so you learned a few tricks, have you, Bird Boy?" Two Face gasped as Robin bent his arm even further.

Raven blamed herself for what happened next.

Two Face pulled a gun out of his suit with his left hand, aimed over his shoulder, and fired straight into Robin's shoulder. The world boiled down to nothing but sound. The bang of the gun was like an explosion in her ears. Robin's scream was shrapnel in her eardrums. The cries of her friends seemed distant and strangely muted. Somehow Raven heard the tiny clink of the bullet as it exited Robin's armpit and bounced of the floor. There was another sound Raven could barely hear, but loud enough to eventually drown out all the others. It was her own voice.

Raven realized she was screaming, screaming like she never had before, and everything went to hell. Every appliance, piece of furniture, glass, and gambling machine erupted in a hailstorm of debris. A wall of black energy slammed between Robin and Two Face, and a black bird talon seized Robin and dragged him back to her. Power flooded out from her body into every corner of the room. She levitated several feet in the air, about to level the casino, when Beast Boy's yelling broke through her panic. The changeling was clinging to the floor, terror written on his expression as the room flew apart around him. Raven gasped and reeled in her powers, trying to swallow the ocean of raw emotion.

When she had finally focused enough to see what was going on around her, her friends were picking themselves off the ground. A green cat crouched on the dull gray carpet, claws dug in and fur poofed out. Starfire lay some ten feet to Raven's left, unharmed but clearly dizzy. Cyborg was flat on his butt and staring at Raven with wide eyes seven feet to her right. Two Face's goons had staggered over to their guns, holding their faces and moaning. Two Face had remained standing, but his suit was ruffled like he had set it out on a clothesline in a hurricane.

Raven glanced down to see Robin beneath her, face screwed with pain. She helped him climb to his feet, noticing that he kept his hand clamped firmly on the hole. Robin looked at something behind Raven, then turned and gave her a smile that was more of a pained grimace.

"Thanks for covering me," he hissed. Raven looked up to see a giant shadowy raven, its wings outstretched to protect them both.

"You should learn how to train your girlfriend better," Two Face sneered. Raven flared with anger but kept her powers under control this time. Robin staggered to his feet, three exploding disks in his left hand, ready to be thrown. Beast Boy morphed into a polar bear and tensed to charge. Starfire and Cyborg picked a twin and took aim.

"This ends today, Two Face," Robin said, eyes narrowed.

"But we haven't gotten to business yet," Two Face protested, pulling a stop watch from his pocket. Robin's masked eyes widened. "You see, there's a deep crack in this ceiling, cutting the building into a left and right half near-perfectly."

"Let me guess, there's a bomb in each of the dollar signs. One will go off and bring down one side of the casino while the other remains inactive, killing only half of the hostages. If we disarm or remove one bomb the other goes off." Robin asked. Two Face clicked the stop watch.

"Two minutes."

Robin wasted no time in giving orders. "Starfire, take Cyborg up to the roof, then get the hostages out of here. Cyborg, find a way to take out those bombs. Raven, Beast Boy, you're with me."

Starfire grabbed Cyborg and darted out of the room. The goons opened fire. Robin dragged Raven to the floor. Raven held up her hand, and a wall separated her and Robin from the bullets. Beast Boy barreled forward as a triceratops and nailed one of them, breaking his leg. Raven summoned black wrappings to ensnare the other head to toe. Robin hurled his disks, but Two Face ducked. The three disks detonated above him, and a cloud of smoke hid Two Face from view. Robin rocked to his feet and trotted into the smoke. Raven waved her hand, and the smoke dissipated. Two Face was running for the exit, easily two hundred yards ahead.

Starfire flew through the front doors, and he fired, forcing the Tamaranean to take refuge behind a support column. Beast Boy morphed into a tiger and snarled. Two Face fired into the green tiger's shoulder, but even he knew that he stood no chance of doing any real damage to a tiger with a gun that small. Two Face sprinted for the back door. Beast Boy chased after him, Raven flying as fast as she could to catch up. Raven heard Robin yell at Starfire to get the hostages out.

Just as Beast Boy jumped, Two Face slammed the back door shut and locked it. The shape shifter crashed head first into three inches of galvanized steel. Seriously, who needs a back door that tough? He morphed back to human and moaned, clutching a lump on his head. Raven ripped the door off its hinges with her mind and rushed into the alley, ready to chase after Two Face. A bang followed by immediate searing pain in her ribs made her cry out.

Raven crumpled to the dirty cement, clutching her abdomen. Two Face had been waiting for someone to follow. Now that she was out he was backing up, ready to escape. This was the first time Raven had actually been shot at with a normal bullet and hit. It hurt far more than the beam weapons she was accustomed to. All she could do was curl onto her side and try not to pass out from pain. Robin stumbled into the alley from the casino and hurled a bird-a-rang at Two Face, sending the gun flying. How on earth did he manage to get back up if this is what he felt?

Raven's vision blurred as she fought off tears of pain. She dimly saw Two Face backing up, shouting something as he retreated toward the street. He pulled another gun from his suit and fired, forcing Robin to take cover. Raven summoned a trashcan to fly at his head, but Two Face ducked and fired again. Raven's wall of black energy stopped the bullets, but the barrier was weak and the impact of the bullet dissolved it. Raven's mind throbbed. She had gone too long without meditating. Summoning the energy for another defense was all but impossible.

Raven forced herself to focus through the throbbing in her chest. She saw Two Face take a coin out of his pocket and flip it. He studied the coin in his hand for a moment before slipping the firearm into his shirt and running down the alley. She could hear the squeal of tires as Two Face pulled out. He'd be gone in seconds. Raven felt an arm supporting her, carrying her somewhere. Robin was talking, saying something to her urgently, but Raven couldn't hear what it was. The immense energy surge, followed by the bullet, had sapped her strength. Shock was starting to set in. She needed to go into a healing trance and soon. But she couldn't leave her friends.

Raven gritted her teeth and forced her legs to support her weight. She tried to pull away, but Robin kept a careful arm around her shoulders, gently supporting her as they limped across the street from the front of the casino, away from where Two Face drove off.

"Oh God, Raven, we got to get that patched up right now." He insisted, eyes wide in his pallid face, completely ignoring his own bleeding hole. He pulled out a roll of gauze and reached for her wound. Raven pushed his hand away.

"No, Robin," Pain lanced through her side again. She gritted her teeth. "We have to go and help the others." She tried to summon the power to heal herself, but pain and shock had further confused her already frazzled mind.

"But-" A mushroom cloud of fire rose into the sky. Debris flew in all directions like confetti. The right half of the building collapsed. Anyone on that side would be crushed to death instantly. Robin stared between Raven and the building, muscles trembling with indecision. Raven's vision blurred. She found it harder and harder to hold back the trance. Summoning all her will power, Raven forced herself to stay conscious. Her vision sharpened, but Raven knew that she couldn't hold the trance at bay much longer.

"Robin, just go! I'll be fine." _Probably_ Raven thought.

"I can't just-" Robin stuttered, starting to sway. Raven wondered how much blood he had lost.

"I'll stay with her. This time, you go into the thick of it." Commanded a strong but friendly voice, a voice Raven might have instinctively trusted if trust didn't come so unnaturally to her. A firm hand grabbed Raven's arm and lowered her into a sitting position. Raven turned to see a handsome, broad shouldered man holding her. Robin's face morphed into one of incredulousness for a fraction of a second before he was all business again. He nodded curtly and sped off toward the settling cloud of dust and ash.

_Thank you, Boy Wonder, for leaving me to bleed to death with a complete stranger. Hooray for loyalty._ Raven thought.

Raven tried to stand, but the man pulled her down again. Whoever he was, his hand was like a granite vise.

"Take it easy there," he cautioned in a deep baritone as rich as his suit. His eyes were dark and piercing, ordering her to stay down with the merest gaze. He reached to brush aside her cloak around the wound. Raven slapped his hand away with as much force as she could muster and was satisfied with the sound her hand made when it hit him. She was less pleased with her now throbbing hand.

"Are you sure you don't want some help?" he asked. Raven was glad her hood was up. It helped her to glare daggers at him, making sure he knew that he knew that she did not want to be touched. At all. Ever. The hood also hid her embarrassment. Robin had left her with a stranger. By herself, Raven wouldn't care, but ditching her with a stranger when she was wounded was not ok. The man undid his tie and handed it to her. She wordlessly pressed it against her wound.

"It's not what you think," the man said. "Robin and I have a long history. We lost touch a few years back, but you can trust me."

"Trust has to be earned. And I'm supposed to be over there helping my team." Raven intoned, carefully measuring each word to make sure she gave nothing away. The man chuckled.

"Trust me, I know the feeling." Raven sensed something approaching camaraderie in his tone. Her mind was foggy, but Raven had a vague since that she should know who this man was. Something Robin had said and something about those words fit…how? Raven stared across the street, trying to work up the mental power to figure it out. Instead, she noticed a man with red hair running away from the building. One of Two Face's lackies, probably the one she had tied up since both his legs were working fine. Raven made to get up and chase after him, but the mystery man grabbed her arm again, holding her still.

"Let me go! He's getting away," Raven snarled, pointing at the red haired goon. The strange man looked where she was pointing, and his gaze hardened. Raven's instincts screamed at her to run. He was no longer safe. The man released Raven and picked up a chunk of concrete, a piece of the casino thrown across the street by the explosion. He took aim and chucked it like a pitcher on the mound. The rock sailed a good eighty feet and struck the goon on the temple. Red-hair dropped to the ground without a sound.

"Whoa. Nice throw," Cyborg said, jogging to stand a few feet away, left arm still a sonic canon. He looked equal parts impressed and curious. The half robot had a few fragments of steel and concrete imbedded in the joints of his metal pieces and a couple nicks and scrapes, but otherwise he looked just fine.

"Thank you." Mystery man said, back to his original personality. The reply seemed genuine, but he was way to calm for Raven's liking.

Raven struggled to stand, and this time the mysterious newcomer didn't stop her. At that moment Cyborg noticed her wound and ran over, scooping Raven off the ground like a kitten. She winced as he picked her up but chose not to complain. Her vision was blurring again, and she didn't think she'd have been able to stand for long.

She dimly perceived the mystery man stand and brush his suit off. The last thing Raven perceived before she fell into the trance was the mystery man extending his arm to Cyborg and say, "I don't believe we've met. My name is Bruce Wayne."

Ok everyone, I'm going to be busy with that English report this weekend, but I'll try to get the next chapter up before Monday, maybe by tonight or tomorrow if I'm lucky. Until then…review!


	5. Midnight Encounters

A quick shout out to everyone who's reviewing: you guys rock!

Chapter 5

Raven awoke from her healing trance feeling more relaxed than she had in weeks. The trance was the closest to a proper meditation Raven had achieved in months. She opened her eyes to the comfortingly dim lighting of the Titans Tower sick bay. After a moment she stopped levitating and thumped to the bed. Raven decided just to lie there and relax. She closed her eyes and allowed the quiet of the sick bay to soothe her further.

"Good, you're awake." The familiar voice grating in Raven's ears was unwelcome for multiple reasons. Raven snapped her eyes open and glared to her left. Robin lay on his back in a hospital bed almost identical to the one Raven lay in. The only difference was that Robin was held in place by belts around his wrists, thighs, ankles, and chest. For some reason the idea of Robin tied to the bed made her feel flush. Raven scowled at the grinning face. Every time she saw him things got more complicated.

"You have some serious explaining to do, little birdie," she growled. Robin's smile shrank slightly but didn't fade completely. Raven was temporarily distracted by the patterns the moonlight made in his hair as he moved, making each strand shine with its own light, like he used obsidian dust in his hair gel. Robin began slipping out of his restraints through a combination of wiggling, bending, and near inhuman stretching. Forty seconds later the Boy Wonder sat free of his restraints, rubbing his wrists to bring back the circulation. Despite her annoyance, Raven couldn't help but be a little impressed. Just a little.

"Why were you tied down?" Raven asked after a minute, uncomfortable with the silence for only the second time in her life.

"Oh, I, uh-" Robin blushed a delicate shade of salmon pink. Raven resisted the urge to laugh, but it was hard. Robin cleared his throat and continued. "I was worried when you were still in your trance after I was patched up, and Cyborg said if I didn't calm down and let my cast set properly he'd give me a sedative. Well I kept pacing and trying to figure out what Two Face was doing in Jump City, so he hit me on the back of the head. I woke up just a few minutes before you did. He tied the belts a lot tighter than last time." Robin admitted sheepishly. Raven snorted in derision. Only Cyborg would refer to that as a sedative.

"He warned you," she pointed out. Robin grinned, and Raven remembered why she was mad at him. She scowled and crossed her arms. "You still have to explain something, mister." Robin had the gall to look confused. Raven could feel her emotions, so placid two minutes earlier, rising to the surface again, threatening to destroy the room. Raven forced it back and glared harder.

"How could you just leave me there with some random guy?" Raven spat. Hurt and betrayal rose to the forefront of her chaotic jumble of emotions, and Raven squeezed her eyes shut, chanting her mantra to hold them back. Raven opened her eyes and gave Robin her best _I'll-kill-you_ look.

"I didn't like to do it," he protested. "I'm still a little mad at myself for leaving you back there. But you did tell me to leave and go help the others, and they needed some help with the hostages-"

"I wanted you to leave me on the curb by myself," Raven corrected. "But you refused to leave until some random stranger came up and pulled me to the ground. For all you knew, he could have been another criminal."

"Bruce isn't just a random guy, he's-"

"Oh, I'm sorry, he's a random billionaire. My mistake, we both know that money automatically makes you a good person." Raven snapped. She couldn't help it. At the time blood loss, exhaustion, and shock had kept her from fully grasping the situation, but now that she was awake, Raven couldn't help but feel betrayed, almost violated that Robin would entrust her in that kind of state to the first person he saw. Black fire engulfed a heart monitor, a computer, and two IV poles. All four devices melted into a puddle of steaming metal in heartbeats. Raven looked away from Robin's face, clamping her bundle of emotional confusion and hurt. She really needed her tea.

"Rae," Raven reluctantly turned back to him at the sound of her nickname. "Bruce isn't just some billionaire. He took me in after my parents died, gave me a home. Without him…I don't know where I'd be. He's one of the best men I've ever known. Ok, we've had our, ah, differences, but I trust him with my life. And I was going to come right back. And I did! Except, Cyborg kind of shoved us into the T-car and sped home as soon as he realized we'd both been shot, and I passed out after he pushed me into the car." Robin winced slightly, as though the memory was embarrassing. "My point is, I would never leave you with just anyone. And if Bruce hadn't been there I probably wouldn't have left at all." Robin stopped awkwardly as if he had said too much.

"Well, Bruce was ok. I mean, he wasn't a jerk and he has a good throwing arm." Raven muttered, acutely aware of the embarrassment rolling off of Robin. Her sense of vindication morphed into the tiniest trace of guilt.

"Also, ah, Bruce taught me about stocks and money and whatnot. I have a few Wayne Enterprise bonds and stocks that earn quite a bit of cash. That's how we pay for all our expenses." Robin said, blushing a deeper red.

"Wait, so that's how we got all this stuff? I thought the city donated us the money?" Raven asked.

"They do, it just wasn't enough to cover our expenses, so I covered the rest. I was never going to use them for myself anyway." Robin's throat was now flamingo pink. Raven could feel herself being swamped in his embarrassment. "To be honest I think Bruce added money to the stocks somehow to keep us going. No way they covered all of this without his help. Course, I never asked, so…" Robin cleared his throat and stopped talking about money altogether.

"If you're still mad about me leaving you with Bruce-"

"No, it's fine," Raven interrupted, drawing her knees up to her chest. The sick bay was cold, and Cyborg had removed her cloak. Robin rubbed at his wrist again. "So, Cyborg knocked you out because you were hyper and worried?" Robin nodded, still pink faced. "What exactly did you do?"

"Not much," came the reply. Raven mentally began translating Robin's speech into regular English. "I asked Cyborg if I could see how you were once or twice while he was plugging up the bullet wound and setting my arm, and he got a little testy." Raven had the immediate mental image of Robin repeatedly shouting at Cyborg to let him check up on her while the half-robot yelled at him to shut up before he bled to death.

"Cyborg complained that I was pacing too much during my blood transfusion." Raven smirked at this statement. "We disagreed on the meaning of the word 'rest': apparently it isn't restful to sit next to a bed for three and a half hours." Raven imagined Robin sitting next to her for three and a half hours. She was left with an almost foreign brand of satisfaction at the image.

"And then I tried to leave. And Cyborg said 'No way I'm letting you go on one of obsessive/compulsive this-is-all-my-fault tangents, dog'. And that's a quote."

"Is that when he hit you?"

"No, I think he hit me after that when I said that he couldn't stop me."

Raven smiled.

"So is there anything else I need to apologize for?"

"Yes," Raven said. "For ruining the best meditation I've had in months by speaking a few minutes ago."

"Oh," To his credit, Raven could sense that he was genuinely surprised and guilty at this piece of information. "Well, sorry, Raven. Is that still a problem then?"

"Yes," she replied tonelessly, not really in the mood to discuss it. She waved her hand at the melted equipment and repaired it.

"I, uh, talked to Starfire while you were out." His tone made her instinctively wary. A knot formed in her intestines. She didn't know why, but Raven cared a lot that Robin had talked to Starfire while she was out.

"I told her that I was sorry about everything that had happened between us, that I wanted the past to stay in the past and for us to just be friends." He continued in a rush.

"What did she say," Raven asked.

"She agreed, and we made up. But for a second I was afraid she was going to break my other arm. For another second I was even more afraid she would try to kiss me." Robin smiled feebly at this attempt at humor. The knot instantly resolved itself, and once more Raven resisted the completely absurd urge to smile. Unsure what to say, an uncomfortable silence dragged on between them. _Only Robin could make silence uncomfortable_ Raven thought.

"Did you figure out what Two Face is doing in Jump City?" Raven asked after a moment. Robin's face fell into an all to familiar scowl, a mixture of self-blame and anger.

"No, and I don't have a clue where to start," he admitted, bitterness lacing every word. Raven thought back to the fight between Robin and Two Face. Her heart fell. If she hadn't intervened, Robin would be dead, and he knew it. Robin hated to lose. He hated Two Face. And he hated feeling like something was his fault. Raven didn't have to probe he bond between them to know that Robin had been beating himself up relentlessly.

"Don't worry. We'll find out what Two Face is up to and stop him. And you don't have to do this alone; I'll be right there with you. It'll be fine." The words of comfort felt alien to Raven; she spoke a little slower than usual, unsure whether these were right to say or why she was saying them. What Raven had decided to call the Robin enigma had struck again.

"Two Face is **my** enemy. He played me, again. The last time he outsmarted me an entire building burned to the ground. This time you took a bullet to the ribs." Raven was ready with a scathing retort that unexpectedly died in her throat when Robin placed on of his hands on top of hers. Raven wanted to pull away, but when she looked up at Robin she found herself frozen in place. His expression had morphed into something sadder, more tender.

"I'm not going to let him hurt anyone I care about. Not again," he murmured, his voice soft with fierce determination. Raven stared into his face. Suddenly she wanted, very badly, to rip the mask off his face, to see what lay beneath. Raven could feel his emotions running through their bond to her, like they wanted her to see them, but she wanted to see the color of his irises, wanted to see that expression in his pupils, not just in the leather of a mask.

Years of meditation and resisting desire made the act impossible. Raven withdrew her hand from Robin's, noticing how it was cold it was without his as she did so. She reached to put up her hood before she remembered that her cloak was gone. Raven tried to disguise the motion by running her hand through her hair. She looked away from Robin and for the first time noticed the bulky cast encasing his arm.

Raven reached out instinctively and pressed her hand to the white plaster. The cast briefly glowed black before falling away. Robin remained perfectly still as her hand glowed black again, and she sent her magic into his arm, removing the plug Cyborg had inserted and getting to work on his body, regrowing flesh, sealing blood vessels, connecting muscles, and repairing bone. It a few seconds Robin's arm was good as new. He flexed the appendage gingerly, staring at it with wide eyes.

"How'd you do that?" he marveled, flexing his arm like a baby bird trying out his wings.

"It's magic, Robin, remember," Raven said scathingly. "I healed myself the same way." She gestured to the hole in her uniform at the base of her ribs. Robin leaned over and gently placed his index finger in the hole. Despite the glove his finger seared Raven's cold skin. She suddenly felt strangely hot in a way that had little to do with the temperature of the room. Robin quickly withdrew his finger, perhaps noticing her stiffen, and Raven could feel the tingling flesh begin to cool in the cold hospital air. Robin stood, the colors of his uniform thrown into shadow with his back to the window.

"Well, thanks for healing me," he said. As Robin walked toward the door, Raven could feel something spike into his emotions, an impulse. She didn't have long to wonder what it was. Robin turned on his heel, swooped down, and pressed his lips to hers. Raven reached to shove him away, perhaps into another dimension, but instead her fingers curled into the **R** on his uniform. Her brain short-circuited. All she could think about was the feeling of his lips, the little scars that ran along them, the way her lower lip was drawn slightly between his. He smelled a little like hair gel, but it was over laid with the scent of pizza and the taste of it was on his lips. An emotion, just as powerful as hatred but different, had taken over. She felt the edge of a tooth against her lip, and a coil of warmth spread through her chest.

The kiss lasted about three seconds. After that Robin pulled back. The mask hid his expression from her, with only the moon and stars from the window and the odd flashing dial from the computer to provide illumination. His emotions were as jumbled as hers. Raven had no clue what he was thinking. She heard him mutter a goodnight and stride from the room. Raven registered his words about ten seconds after the doors slid shut. Her breathing was ragged. She realized her lips were still parted slightly, and she clamped her mouth shut. Raven curled into a ball and forced her head between her knees with a moan. She needed to meditate for six months and drink a few hundred pots of tea. And she needed to pretend that Robin didn't exist. Otherwise she would do something even stupider and just keel over from humiliation.

_I kissed Robin…I kissed my leader…I kissed my teammate…I kissed Starfire's ex…oh God I kissed Robin_.

Raven stood up shakily. The skin revealed by hole in her uniform was frigid. It seemed that she was always cold unless Robin was touching her. Just freaking fantastic. She glided through the darkened hallways, vaguely sensing her sleeping companions' emotions. She was never able to block the hazy traces of emotions that came from others' dreams unless she was asleep herself.

Beast Boy was sound asleep, dreaming about something exciting but not scary. Cyborg was slumbering more peacefully in a dreamless landscape. Starfire's sleep was likewise dreamless but more uncomfortable and faintly sad. Raven thought about how betrayed the Tamaranean would feel if she found out that she had kissed Robin. No, Robin kissed her, she had to remember that.

Raven closed her eyes and allowed the traces of emotion to wash over her brain. She welcomed them all, even Starfire's disturbed unconsciousness. It was a welcome distraction from her own emotions. She closed her eyes and slowed her walk until she was drifting to her room by memory alone, her boots silent on the carpet. As Raven passed down the corridor adjacent to the main room, she sensed a wave of emotion so powerful her heart caught in her throat and she ground to a stop.

Raven placed a hand against the right wall. On the other side was a being with the strangest emotion she had ever sensed. It was a wall of snow, so cold that not even the hardiest creature could pass through. The coldness was condensed, focused so that Raven could almost sense the shape on its source. Whatever this was had been keeping its emotions under lock and key for years with an ease Raven envied.

She hesitated, fear and curiosity battling very briefly inside her mind. Raven levitated until her head brushed the ceiling. Then she very carefully phased just her face through the wall, slowly so as not to alert whatever lay on the other side. At first glance the room looked normal. A few fitful moonbeams shone into the room from between the clouds. The only thing out of place was that Robin was standing in front of the windows, staring at the city. Raven wondered if she was imagining the presence.

"The mask still fits you," a voice said from the shadows. Raven's blood chilled. It was the cold being. Robin whipped around toward the source, a mass of shadows in the kitchen, indistinguishable from the rest of the darkness. Raven couldn't see what it was from her position, but if she moved in any further she'd be spotted for sure.

"What are you doing here?" Robin snapped. Hostility flared from Robin like a laser beam directed at the figure in the shadows, dissipating in the aura of cold around it. Raven wondered why he didn't trigger the alarm and alert the others that the Tower had been invaded, but their bond was on fire. She could sense a vast wealth of memories swirling through his mind, many years' worth, all connected to the voice and all moving too quickly for her to see.

"I came to Jump City for a board meeting." Robin snorted. "Yes, for once I was at an actual board meeting. But I would have come here without the extra incentive. In fact, I'm long overdue for a visit."

"Why? So you can point out all my mistakes, so you can baby me?" Robin asked, his tone nothing if not accusing. "Do you even know what I've been doing here? Do you even care? Did you even once look to see what was going on here?"

"Yes, Robin, yes to the last three. I have paid very, very close attention to your actions here in Jump City. I have observed your fights with Mad Mod, Control Freak, Killer Moth, Dr. Light, the Brotherhood of Evil, Slade, the H.I.V.E. Academy, even Trigon. And you have made many, many failures in your time here, a great number of which nearly cost you the life of a teammate, and all of which were preventable. Not the least on the list is making your base of operations a gigantic T." Robin clenched his fists. Raven swallowed a burst of anger and listened closely as the voice continued.

"And I am very, very proud of you." Robin straightened like he had been jabbed in the butt with a cattle prod. "No mission survives the initial plan of attack, and no leader is perfect. How you adapt determines your skill, success, and intelligence. And you have proven yourself a worthy and capable hero in every sense of the word many times over, better than some on the Justice League."

"Better than you?" Robin smirked, his hostility beginning to fade.

"Don't get such a big head. You still live in a giant tower shaped like a T." The shadows teased. A touch of warmth pervaded the frost this time, like a tiny fiery heart. Raven sensed it was directed at Robin. She thought she saw Robin smile.

"So what were these great mistakes I made, hmm?" In response, a metal object sailed out of the shadows and clattered to Robin's feet. Raven saw him bend down and pick it up. She squinted, trying to see what it was. Robin looked in her direction, and Raven froze, praying he wouldn't notice her in the darkness. Robin blinked and turned back to the kitchen. Raven resisted the urge to sigh. She knew that eavesdropping on Robin was wrong, and if he did it to her she'd lock him in a book like she did to Malchior. But this was too weird to ignore.

"How did you get this?" Robin said quietly. Raven had a feeling that he was having another it-was-all-my-fault moment.

"It fell off during your fight on the roof of Wayne Tech."

"It was a mistake, but I had to do it. If I didn't he would kill them all-" Robin started, anger and desperation dripping from every word.

"I understand, Robin. You did what you thought was right. And you refused to take a life. I would have handled it differently, but you won in the end. And like you said, it was a mistake, one you won't make again." Robin nodded and stared at the floor. "Just like Red X." Robin's head jerked up.

"How did you-"

"I've known you for years. As soon as I saw the suit I knew you had made it. I deduced the rest of the story from the evidence at hand." The voice replied. "You wanted to get close to Slade, to stop him, to trick him. And you were willing to pay the price. Red X was a mistake, Robin, but not your worst. And we cannot change the past. Besides, you got lucky- worse people could have stolen the suit." Robin bowed his head, and his emotions became foggy. Raven could feel their bond tingling, and she tried to keep her mind blank.

"You have no idea what Slade is like," Robin murmured, so quiet Raven could just barely hear.

"I knew him before he was Slade, back when he was the assassin Deathstroke." The voice said. Robin turned to face him so fast Raven got whiplash just watching him. "But I came here for a reason, and we don't have all night."

"So now that we've gone through the little correction course we can get down to business, is that it?" Robin retorted. For a moment the shadows were silent, and Raven detected the trace of warmth retreating within the ice.

"Robin," the voice said, softer this time.

"Don't. I shouldn't have said anything. It's been a long night." Robin muttered. Raven could feel his regret at those words. He didn't mean them.

"How's Alfred?" Robin asked.

"About the same. He went in for surgery on his knee six months ago, and he seems more spry than he's been in years." Robin's grin went from ear to ear. "He's been following you even more closely than I have. When I left he told me to remind you that there's always a bed and a hot meal waiting for you." Robin's smile faded.

"How's Babs?" Robin's voice was soft, and Raven detected a pinprick of guilt amid the confusion that clouded his mind when he asked.

"Her training is coming along quite well; she'll be as good as you with about six more months of training. She got a perfect score on her SAT. And she misses you." Robin sighed.

"She was always bright," he muttered. Raven could feel him pushing aside old memories that she could only half perceive, turning to business. "Two Face mentioned a bounty. Does that have anything to do with why you're here?" Robin asked.

"That's part of it. The Joker put a bounty on the head of every Bat." Raven mentally racked her brain for anything on the Joker. Robin mentioned him earlier, but she didn't really know anything about him.

"It's not like him to get others to do his dirty work," Robin said, frowning.

"It's also not like him to offer five million dollars. A head." The voice added. Robin didn't move a muscle. "I know for a fact that this time he didn't steal the money. He hasn't done anything except set up the bounty since he escaped. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Villains are breaking out of jail and vanishing off the map. LexCorp ramped up their secret production of beam weapons, but they're not selling to any of their major buyers. Bane's factory is working at full capacity, but they're not selling at all. Penguin has been quiet for a while now, and Killer Croc disappeared two weeks ago." Robin began pacing in front of the windows.

"You think that all of these bad guys are working together in a huge conspiracy?" Robin said without breaking stride.

"I have no concrete evidence, but yes, I think that's exactly what's happening."

"The Brotherhood of Evil can't be behind this," Robin muttered. "We just finished with them a few months ago. The Brain is still frozen solid."

"No, not the Brotherhood of Evil," the voice agreed. "I think this is something new. The pattern of unusual incidents stinks of the Joker, but he doesn't have the money, influence, or focus to launch something on this kind of scale so quickly. He has accomplices, and anyone willing to partner with the Joker is a serious threat."

"You mean Two Face," Robin whispered. The tiny sound carried even more venom than it had a few hours ago.

"He's involved somehow. At first I thought he came here to recruit Solomon Grundy since Grundy was last seen only five miles from Jump City. But that stunt at the Casino was meant to get your attention. He's here for something much, much bigger than Grundy."

"That's saying a lot," Robin muttered. Raven could sense that touch of warmth within the ice again.

"We haven't gotten to the best part yet," the voice said. Raven stretched her senses toward the coldness. She dimly could feel suspicion, directed not at Robin but at someone who was not in the room. "Clark's been making trouble." Robin stiffened.

"You don't think he's involved, do you?" Robin asked. The horror in his voice made Raven curious. No one named Clark could be that bad, right?

"It's possible, but there's no evidence. A few weeks ago he tried to investigate LexCorp's operations. He triggered twenty alarms, started a firefight that demolished an office building, and learned nothing. I took matters into my own hands and gathered enough evidence to prove that LexCorp was stockpiling beam weapons and selling them to unknown buyers, all without Luthor finding out. Clark accused me of hiding major information from the League. When I didn't tell them what I was hiding, he decided to make a house call." Robin pinched the bridge of his nose in his hand.

"Please tell me you didn't strike first," Robin sighed through his hand.

"No, I didn't, though Clark would disagree. Nevertheless, losing for a second time didn't sit well with him. Now the bounty's given him an excuse to have the League call me up to the Watch Tower, but nothing's been decided yet. And he arranged for the Brain to be relocated to a frozen cell in the Watch Tower's prison block."

Robin swore loudly.

"Damn it! So while Clark is being a petty jerk we have to handle everything by ourselves?" Robin swore again. Raven had never heard Robin swear before.

"Why does that sound familiar?" The voice said, and Raven detected a scathing tone this time. She saw Robin smile and couldn't help but do the same, despite the situation. Both smiles disappeared in about four seconds.

The alarm beeped once and red light bathed the tower. Robin lunged twelve feet to the monitor and slammed his palm on a button. The alarm died before the second beep. Beast Boy would still be out cold. Starfire or Cyborg might wake up, but they'd probably put it down to a bad dream. Robin and Raven were the only ones who could react at the first buzz. Why would Robin turn off the alarm so quickly? Raven watched as Robin hunched over the screen, reading the report to himself. He glanced over at the shadows.

"Jail break. A criminal called Cinderblock." Robin said, standing. Robin took a step toward the doors and hesitated. His leg hovered in midair for a moment before he turned back toward the shadows. He ran his hand threw his hair and glanced at the time on the monitor.

"Look, its late, and I don't want to wake the others, so…" Robin trailed off for a moment. "For old times' sake?" He posed it as a question.

"For old times' sake," the voice replied. The little warm heart was back. Robin smiled, and his mind cleared somewhat. He ran for a side door and disappeared. Raven sensed the coldness retreating. For a moment Raven floated with her head in the wall, struggling with a strange feeling that took her a moment to place: jealousy. She was jealous of the easy control that cold being had.

Raven pulled back into the hallway and fell to the floor with a bump. She held her head in her hands. Too much had happened in the past twenty four hours. Raven walked to her room with her hood drawn up and her head in her hands. She stared at the bed, but the idea of more nightmares wasn't appealing in the slightest. Her head throbbed with all of Robin's emotions she had felt that day on top of her own screwed up emotions.

Raven set her jaw. That cut it. She was going to take care of these problems once and for all. Raven marched over to the hand mirror on her dresser and stared into it boldly. A short falling sensation later, and Raven stood in the astral landscape of her mind.

Ok! I know this chapter was long, but I had a lot to fit in. and from here on out the plot takes so many twists and turns I wanted to get everything out. Remember, _**reviews are welcome! **_And I plan on posting the next (and shorter) chapter soon.


	6. Reflections

Ok everyone, this chapter is M for language.

Chapter 6

Raven didn't move at first, enjoying the stillness of Nevermore. Ironically, it was Beast Boy who first called her mind that, but Raven liked it. After a while, Raven began to walk down the floating stone path. She passed through an arch and found Bravery practicing her fighting skills on a group of demonic ravens. Raven walked up just as Bravery smashed the last bird flat with her green boot. Raven noticed she had just used one of Robin's moves, and her head gave a massive throb.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Bravery said. Raven's sense of courage appeared identical to Raven except that Bravery wore all green clothes. But there was another difference, one that took a careful eye to observe. Bravery stood in front of Raven with her hands on her hips, cloak thrown open, chest pushed out, and a cocky smile plastered to her face. Bravery was bold in a way Raven herself was not; Bravery had nothing to hide.

Raven closed her eyes and focused, summoning her emotions from every corner of her mind. Eight different colored Ravens appeared, each representing a separate emotion. All were identical to Raven herself except in color and posture. Intelligence walked forward with a book under her arm. Drawing her yellow cloak tighter around herself, Intelligence pushed her glasses up her nose and cleared her throat.

"It has been some time since you sought us out," Intelligence stated. Raven had been avoiding her mirror. When the nightmares first started, she tried consulting her emotions, and the ensuing chaos made the nightmares worse.

"I know it's been a long time, but I have come for your advice." Raven said in a monotone. Her emotions waited. Raven stalled, trying to collect her thoughts. Though in a way she already had. Happiness was bouncing from her heels to her toes, her huge grin and pink clothes equally ridiculous. Timid hunched over in the back of the crowd, eyes wide within the depths of her gray hood. Acceptance of Fate stood next to Intelligence, her face flat and body motionless beneath the brown cloak.

"I need to know what is happening and how to stop it." Raven said. "These nightmares, my meditating, Robin's…" Raven searched for a word and drew a blank. "Weirdness." She decided that was the best term for it. "What does-" Laziness belched hugely, wiggled a finger in her ear, and wiped the findings on her orange cloak. Raven waited for her to settle down before continuing. "What does all of this mean, and how do we control it?"

"We? We don't control anything. You lock us up and expect us to help you." Sneered a red-cloaked figure. Four glowing eyes of the same color as her cloak glared from the depths of the sanguine hood.

"We talked about this, Hatred, many times." Intelligence replied mildly. "We are all part of Raven, but if she reveals any of us the effects would-"

"Screw the effects," Hatred spat. "Who cares what happens to any of the others? Fuck them. They all think you're just some creepy bitch. You could kill them with a snap of your finger or level the city in the heartbeat. Hell, why stop there, you could annihilate all life on the planet-"

"Not helpful," Raven interrupted. "In fact, _you're_ the main reason I have to keep all of you locked away." Hatred curled her lip but said nothing.

"Now, does anyone else have anything helpful to contribute?" Raven asked with a scowl at Hatred to warn her to be quiet. Laziness promptly toppled backward and started snoring. Timid glanced at the others and retreated deeper into the folds of her cloak. Acceptance of Fate was so still she might have been dead. Raven put her face in her hand and counted to ten. This was why she never came here.

"There are several possible explanations to the nightmares, which directly correlate to the problems with your meditation. However, none of the explanations are complete enough to fully explain the situation or even provide an explanation that would account for most of the disturbance." Intelligence paused to push her glasses up. "Would you be interested in hearing the partial explanations?"

"Yes, please," Raven said. Thank God for Intelligence. She was easily the most helpful emotion.

"The simplest reason is that you remember the incidents surrounding our father's rise as unpleasant. When they disturbed your sleep the first time, you focused on them more and they surfaced again the next time you slept and the added stress interfered with your meditations. The second explanation is that Trigon is rising again and disrupting your thoughts like before, although this is far, far more unlikely."

Raven paused to consider these options. Bad memories didn't explain the timing of the dreams, their vividness, or their impact. And Trigon was gone for good. Raven was sure of it. But what if she was wrong? Trigon was a lot more powerful than Raven. Had it even been possible for her to banish him? Raven's blood ran cold. With her luck…

"Any other ideas?"

"Well," Intelligence hesitated. "It's not exactly provable, but theoretically-"

"Oh, its more than a theory," came a voice from the back of the group. Raven watched as a purple-cloaked woman stalked forward. Raven was used to Intelligence, Happiness, Hatred, and Bravery giving her advice. Acceptance of Fate usually never said more than two words, if that. Laziness was the same. Timid rarely made more than one contribution to an argument. This was another emotion Raven almost never heard from. Usually she just stood quietly in the back, hunched so that her cloak fell around her in a concealing curtain.

"I know exactly what's going on," the purple emotion practically purred. "And so do you."

"No, I don't, otherwise I wouldn't be here." Raven snapped. "And if you have something to say then spit it out."

Passion threw back her hood and spread her cloak, revealing herself for the first time. Raven had kept Passion under almost as tight a lockdown as she had Hatred, but only because Raven had seen her largely as a distraction from more dangerous emotions. Passion did not fight her nearly as much as Hatred, and Raven hadn't worried about her before. Now Raven saw, really noticed for the first time, just what Passion looked like.

Her small, full lips were curled into a playful smile, and her half-closed amethyst eyes bore a mischievous, suggestive expression. Her purple hair was wavy and shined in the light. Passion was physically a carbon copy of Raven otherwise, yet she stood with her chest pushed out just enough to show off and when Passion walked she reminded Raven of a lean, dangerous hunter.

"It's really quite simple, Raven," Passion said. "You see, after all these years of repressing me, I have finally emerged. While the others whaled against your defenses, I remained quiet. I am patient. And now, my patience has paid off." It took Raven a moment to understand.

"Oh no no no, not Robin? You can't be serious! He's my team leader and…Robin only started acting weird last night. There's no way in hell I fell in love that quickly, no way."

"Come on, you know you liked that kiss. The only question here is why you didn't go for another one." Bravery interjected, fists on her green hips. Happiness giggled. Passion nodded at Bravery before turning back to Raven.

"I represent all sides of desire: Lust, petty teen crushes, True Love, love of chocolate. Your feelings toward Robin have changed in my favor, but in what manner have they changed? That's the big question, and I am never easy to understand." Passion began walking toward Raven slowly, each step delicate and precise.

"You locked me away, but once released I am as powerful as Hatred ever was." Hatred laughed, a bark of derision like a rabid hellhound's hunting call. Passion turned toward Hatred and met her gaze evenly. "Yes, Hatred, I am. And you know it. You know and fear it so you mock me because you do not understand. And I am not meant to be understood either." Hatred looked away with a huff.

"Look, Robin's great, but I just can't afford to date anyone, especially him. Robin is the team leader, Starfire's ex boyfriend, he's crazy obsessed with catching Slade and every other villain we find, and I know almost nothing about him." Raven interrupted. "There are a million reasons not to go out with him. If anything, I should be pushing him away, and-"

"Since when have I listened to reason?" Passion questioned, continuing her glacial walk toward Raven. "I have lain dormant in your mind ever since Azar took you under her tutelage. Oh, I surfaced briefly every once in a while. The children managed to wake me quite well, if only for a moment, and even Beast Boy caused me to stir once or twice. But now I am completely free, and I will never be subdued again. You can fight me and lose everything you want, everything you need. Or you can cooperate."

Raven took a step back, staring into those eyes. Passion was beautiful, absolutely gorgeous, but she was dangerous in a subtle, all encompassing manner.

"Think, Raven. Those dreams started when Robin and Starfire became a couple. In every dream, Robin keeps you from the oblivion. Robin sacrificed the world plus ten percent for the merest chance of saving you, even when it seemed that you were useless as a warrior. That alone is more than he ever did for Starfire. You remembered that each night in a vain subconscious attempt to console yourself. Your meditation is disturbed because you are lacking, and you could not find what you lacked. You withdrew into solitude, as did Robin, and your condition worsened."

Raven didn't realize how near Passion was until she was standing right in front of Raven. Passion languidly raised a hand to Raven's face. As she did so her fingertip brushed between Raven's breasts. Raven inhaled, suddenly picturing Robin there instead, his arms wrapped around her and lips pressed against hers. Raven snapped out of her insanity when Passion laid her hand against Raven's cheek.

"I am not your enemy, Raven," Passion said. Her seductive voice carried a hint of a warning. "I am a part of you, and an important part at that. You awoke me through Robin. You can deny me, you can run from your life, you can abandon Robin, but you will accomplish _nothing_." Passion leaned toward Raven until her forehead touched Raven's hood.

"You cannot escape from me anymore than you can leave Robin."

000000000000000000000000

Robin kneeled on a rooftop, peering through a set of night vision binoculars. He watched the police load an unconscious Cinderblock into the back of a transport truck a several hundred yards away. Robin smiled. No lengthy interrogation, no repeating the same detailed story ten times, and no complaints about the damage done to the streets. Robin had forgotten the benefits of operating in secret.

Robin glanced at his old mentor next to him. Batman placed his binoculars in his belt and took off, leaping from rooftop to rooftop without a word or signal, keeping to the darkest shadows in utter quiet. Robin ran alongside the Cape Crusader, keeping pace with him easily. Neither man was a telepath, and neither needed to be. In what felt like seconds they had crossed half the city. It was quiet tonight. The two paused on a shadowy rooftop, breathing lightly. Robin leaned against a rooftop door and crossed his arms over his chest. Batman stood perfectly still, his cape covering him just like Raven's cloak. Thinking about Raven made Robin's head throb.

"I assume you didn't stop for a tea party," Robin said, trying to ignore his headache.

"I wanted to discuss a few more things with you," he said.

"Like what?" Robin inquired.

"Your team's recent performances against Brushogun and The Brotherhood of Evil attracted the attention of the League, particularly your defeat of the Brotherhood of Evil."

"Why? Is the League worried that the Titans will steal the limelight?" Robin asked, half joking. "Or are they jealous because we actually managed to bring down a massive international organization and they didn't."

"Some of them are, yes."

Robin stood straight and balled his hands into fists.

"Is the League so petty that-"

"That's not the big reason why your Titans attracted the League's attention." Batman interrupted. "If that was it they'd have kicked me out for locking up Cobra last year."

"You took down the Cult of the Cobra?" Robin asked, incredulous. Bruce had been fighting them for years. Their influence was so far spread Robin had thought no one hero would ever end it.

"I captured their leader and highest ranking officials. Cobra dens are still being located and cleared, but the organization has lost nearly all of its power." Batman said, his voice kept a monotone, void of pride in his accomplishment. It was Batman's duty, nothing else. "They might still come back, however, if Cobra escapes from the Watch Tower jail. And yes, Clark convinced the League to move him up there too." Robin scowled.

"Do you think whoever is behind the bounty and Two Face is working to start up Cobra or the Brotherhood of Evil?" Robin asked.

"I doubt it. Cobra was never a team player nor was it ever important enough for the Joker to take any interest. They might be working to restart the Brotherhood of Evil, but that as well is unlikely. These villains were never involved with the Brotherhood nor would they want anyone else taking the credit or reward for their work. This is something new altogether." Batman speculated. Robin smashed his fist against the rooftop door. Batman's speculations were right ninety-five percent of the time.

"Great. So a brand new international organization is developing right under our noses. Any other cheery news you would like to share? Maybe a chunk of molten steel is hurtling toward my team right now?" Robin growled.

"Actually, yes." Robin froze. Did Batman just make a joke? Batman…made a joke. _Error. Statement does not compute. Illogical _flashed repeatedly behind Robin's eyes.

"He's not molten, but the Man of Steel does plan on dealing with the Titans, sooner rather than later." Robin wasn't sure he understood what Batman was saying.

"Wait, Clark is after my team? Clark? Why?" Robin asked. For some reason the words didn't quite some out the way he wanted them to.

"He's coming after all of your Titans, everyone who fought with you against the Brotherhood of Evil." Batman clarified.

"Why?" Robin repeated. A sense of terror was growing in his chest, but it was strangely numbed.

"He claims that your teenage organization is growing too large and too ambitious to continue without 'proper supervision'. And he's targeted the five original Titans as the ringleaders. So far he hasn't said or done anything to suggest illegal or extreme action, but I don't know what his real motive is yet." Batman replied. Robin grabbed his head in his hands, walked five steps away, and wheeled about to face his one-time mentor.

"Why the hell are you telling me about this?" Robin sniped, suspicion flaring. "You never told me anything like this before. I haven't seen or heard from you in years and now BOOM- you're sharing everything like you have no inhibitions. What game do you think you're playing, _Bruce_?" Batman stayed quiet for a moment. The cowl hid any facial expression, but when the greatest living hero spoke he sounded tired for the first time in Robin's life.

"Dick, I know we've had our fights. I haven't always been fair with you. And that was intentional. I wanted you to be strong, to be able to deal with the hardships of life. I took you in, made you my apprentice, and helped you put Two Face behind bars all in part so that you wouldn't turn out like me. But I failed in that respect and for that I am sorry."

Robin's heart stopped for a full twenty seconds. Batman was opening up. Batman was apologizing in words. To him. Screw Trigon. The end of the world was happening right now.

"When you left, I didn't just drive away my partner. I drove away my son." Batman continued in that horrible, grieved voice that did not belong anywhere near the man that stood in front of Robin. "I am a father who alienated his son; my father would die of shame if he saw me. Not a single night has gone by when I didn't wish that you were still by my side, but I've watched what you have done in Jump City and across the world with pride. You have become a hero in your own right. And I should respect you as such. And…I don't want to see you get hurt, or worse, caught up in the Justice League's politics like me. You shouldn't have to. You've made your allegiance and your heart clear. Robin, you are no longer a bat. You are a Titan. But know that, if you ever want, there will always be a home for you in Gotham."

Robin stared at Batman. Suddenly he knew exactly how Raven had felt earlier when they spoke in his room. Hr shifted from foot to foot, wondering how to proceed.

"Look, I know I haven't always shown it, but I am really grateful. For everything," Robin began. This was beyond awkward. "You taught me everything I know, gave me a home and a new life. I would be nothing without you. And…I'm sorry. You didn't drive me away. I ran out on you like a coward and an arrogant brat. And don't say anything!" Robin warned, cutting of Batman as the Dark Knight opened his mouth to respond.

"I did, and whether you see it as such or not is beside the point. Maybe I moved, maybe I always wear the suit, maybe I work during the day and with a team, but I will always be Robin the bat. Being a bat and being a Titan are not mutually exclusive. Not if I have a say in it." Batman smiled very, very slightly, but Robin wasn't done yet.

"You were, and still are, a great father to me. I will never forget that. I'm glad that I'm like you. If I wasn't, my friends wouldn't still be alive. You're always welcome here. And if it's ok with you, let's keep our past fights in the past."

Every word he had said was nothing less than absolute truth, but it still felt like he was spitting up wads of acid-soaked broken glass the whole time he was talking. Batman hesitantly patted Robin's shoulder, and Robin reached to pat his mentor's back in an awkward one-arm side hug. The rooftop reeked with the scent of the scent of _I'm-not-comfortable_ cologne. Still, in a way it felt good. A load was removed from Robin's chest, and he hadn't noticed its presence until it was gone. Overwhelmed by the night's events, Robin put his face in his hands, leaned against the door, and slid to the ground.

"This has been one HELL of a night," he muttered under his breath. Bruce chuckled.

"Sorry to pile on top of your girl troubles, Dick." Robin leapt up like he had been tassered at these words.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, who said anything about girls?"

"Come on, Dick, I raised you. And this isn't exactly foreign territory for me." Batman chuckled. "So whom did you fall for?"

"Starfire," Robin grumbled reluctantly. "She's the tall Tamaranean girl on my team. But we broke up, and I'm getting over it, so don't worry."

"Except now you've fallen for the charming young woman you spied on our earlier conversation, correct?" Batman said. Robin gaped.

"How-"

"She's good at stealth, but we both saw her, Robin. Don't try to pretend that you didn't."

"Ok, ok," Robin grumbled. "In her defense she usually ignores other people. This is a first for her. But Bruce," Robin rubbed his palms against hid face, smooth leather mask soothing his cheekbones. "I've never…I don't...I can't...it's all so confusing!" Robin blurted, louder than he meant to. He groaned and put his head in his hands again. "How do you deal with this?"

"Poorly," came the dry response. Robin smiled weakly. "But, Dick, let me give you some honest advice. Don't let her get away. It may take you years to get her back, if at all."

"How are you and Thalia?" Robin asked cautiously.

"She chose her to ally herself with her father. But maybe it's for the best." Robin raised an eyebrow. "Selena and I…we're giving it another shot. She's given up her thieving, for now. As long as I can direct her toward risky missions and amusing games to keep her occupied, I think she'll stop for good. Maybe." Robin grinned. That was hugely optimistic by Bruce's standards.

"So it's going alright with you two?" Robin asked.

"Yes. We're doing very well together." Bruce assured him, albeit slowly. Robin wasn't worried. Bruce wasn't comfortable with emotions and stuff like that. Another trait they shared.

"I was going to see if she could help keep us connected when the League brings me in for questioning." Batman said. Robin frowned and stood straight.

"Questioning?"

"Nothing has been announced, but we can expect Clark to call a hearing to discuss recent events and incriminate me any day now." Batman said. "Much of the League holds you accountable for the Titans' actions, and thus I am held accountable for you in their eyes. Which reminds me," Batman spoke over Robin's rising objection. "When they take me in for questioning, can you bring Barbara to Jump City?"

"Bring Barbara to Jump City?" Robin echoed.

"Bring her to your tower, to the Titans," he clarified. "With the bounty and the Joker in Gotham…" Batman trailed off. Robin imagined Babs squaring off with a city full of assassins and the Joker out for her blood alone in Gotham for who knows how long.

"Yeah, Bruce. Yeah, sure. Not a problem." Robin checked his communicator. "Look, it's late. I should be turning in before my team notices anything else is off with me." Batman nodded a silent goodbye and vanished in a ripple of shadows. As Robin walked across the rooftop in the opposite direction, he couldn't help but feel that Bruce had gained two surrogate children.

Ok everyone! Don't worry, everything will connect, and more plot twists are coming! The big M content is further back than I anticipated, but it's coming, don't worry. It will be here…eventually. And Selena and Babs will play a larger role in the story as it progresses. And please, to all of you, _**REVIEW!**_ If you don't review, I don't know if what I'm writing is good or even worth posting…(hint hint). Unfortunately I'm going to be bogged down with work for the next week, but the week after that is Mardi Gras, so I'll have a whole extra week to post. Until next time…review!


	7. Big Brother Awkwardness

Hey everyone, sorry this took so long school's been crushing me. I hope to get another chapter out by tomorrow or Monday. And before you read this: yes I know where this story is going, and after this chapter the story gets better, trust me.

Raven paced the length of her room, turned, strode to her door, hesitated with a hand outstretched to undue the lock, then wheeled about and paced the length of the room again. It was stupid of her, but Raven had elected not to sleep that night. As soon as she returned from Nevermore her imagination had run haywire and her head had throbbed with disturbing visions when she just looked at the bed.

Raven forced herself to stop pacing. Of all the ways one could waste time, pacing was the absolute biggest waste of all. Raven had sarcastically insulted Robin a dozen times for pacing, and she would rather swallow Beast Boy's deluxe Stank Ball whole than have him find out she was pacing. Robin. Headache. Ow.

Raven growled, bear like, and flopped onto her bed. She huffed, trying to get a lock of purple hair off her face. After a few seconds she leapt up and started pacing again. Her statue of the comedy/tragedy masks exploded. Robin's fault. Raven realized she was about to open the door and stopped, staring at the steel panel. If she saw Robin again she'd demolish the tower. After her talk last night with Passion, Raven wasn't taking any chances. She needed to meditate and reign in her emotions. Today would be a day of solitude. Raven clambered onto her bed and began to hover in the lotus position.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

Raven chanted until her sense of time and space blurred. It didn't matter where she was or when. Nothing mattered except the words she chanted and the steady, unchanging beat of her heart. Raven could feel her mind calming, the sharp and jagged edges of thoughts and feeling smoothing and rounding out. A calm enveloped her, and Raven was more at peace than she had been in weeks.

"Yo Rae!" the pounding of a metallic fist against her door was like a hand grenade throw into her peace. Raven screamed in surprise and fell to her bed in a jumble of failing limbs. She was seething internally and barely managed to control the burst of magic that swam through her veins. Raven tumbled off her bed and stormed toward the door.

"What?" she snapped, furious. Cyborg stood directly in front of her, fist raised to knock again.

"Uh," he gulped. Raven narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"I swear, if you're trying to get me to play Stank Ball or eat a three pound hot dog…"

"No, no, nothing like that." Cyborg seemed to gain his composure. Hurray for him. "Mind if I come in?"

"Yes," Raven said. She could hear the desperation and annoyance in her voice. Restraining her powers was growing harder. Raven tried to slam the door shut but Cyborg put his hand in the way. Summoning a burst of magic, Raven slammed the door even harder. The door closed with a rather loud crunching and a rather girlish squeal. Four robotic fingers protruded into her room, twitching randomly and occasionally sparking. Raven sighed and opened the door. Cyborg fell to his knees, single human eye streaming as he cradled his smashed fingers. Raven made to close the door again, and Cyborg leapt up.

"Wait, Raven," he said. Raven pressed the button that closed her door. Cyborg managed to hop sideways into her room and behind her before the door closed. Raven whirled, anger flaring, and raised her hands to teleport him to Beast Boy's dirty underwear pile but Cyborg backed away, hands held up in surrender.

"Guuhhaahh! Wait, wait, wait, I just want to talk." The half robot sputtered. For a moment Raven considered chucking him into their teammate's underwear, but she decided Cyborg didn't deserved that. Yet. "Sorry to come in your room and bother you like this-"

"Not sorry enough not to do it," Raven muttered.

"Look, Rae, I just want to know what's wrong," Cyborg said gently.

"Nothing is wrong," Raven replied, deadpan. She went to pull up her hood, and realized that her cloak was violently skewed so that her hood hugged her left elbow. Raven straightened out her cloak and put up her hood, desperately ignoring the blush that she knew was creeping into her cheeks.

"Riiiiight, that's why you're wearing your clothes sideways," Cyborg said. Raven glared at him, but Cyborg didn't move. In his own way, Cyborg was as stubborn as Robin. Ow. Head. Owow.

"I know something's bugging you, Rae. I know something's going on." Cyborg pressed.

"Everything is fine. Now get out of my room." Raven stated. Cyborg crossed his arms.

"It's noon and you haven't left your room. You've been acting weird lately, and I saw you demolish the toaster last week." Raven shifted uncomfortably. Was it really noon?

"Can we just not talk about this?" Raven pleaded, retaining her neutrality.

"Come on, Rae, is it really that bad?" he asked. Raven didn't respond. "It's nothing like whole the Malchior thing, is it?"

"No," Raven asserted, but now she could hear the stress leaking into her voice. "I don't want to talk about it." Cyborg stared at her for a full twenty seconds without speaking. Raven rarely saw him so quiet. "Please, just get out." Raven's voice cracked. So did the ceiling. She fixed the ceiling, but there was no way to retake the momentary loss of control.

"Wanna help me fine tune the T-car?"

"Wh-what?"

"I could use a hand with the T-car," Cyborg said, voice casual. "Do you wanna help?" She sighed and reluctantly nodded.

"Why can't Robin help you?" Raven muttered as they walked down the hall.

"Robin's busy playing with his new toy set in the gym," Cyborg complained. Raven raised an eyebrow. "Ok, last night I woke up to get a burger, since BB ate the last slice of pizza, and Robin walks into the Tower at four am. He says he went out for a walk, and then he sets up a giant jungle gym in the training room, and he's been training there since. Got some new moves too, stuff I've never seen him do before."

"Sounds like you should be interrogating him instead," Raven retorted. Passion was urging her to go check on Robin, Hatred was yelling for her to kill him while he was tired, and Timid was telling her to go back to her room. Head. Throb. Ow.

"Man, I tried, but I couldn't get didley out of him, and you've been worrying me for a while, Rae."

Raven remained mute, just trying to control her emotions and hoping that she could be done with this car thing soon. When they walked into the garage Cyborg took one look at the scene before them and screamed. Beast Boy and Starfire whipped around to face him, eyes huge. The T-car was scratched, dinged, and stained. Also, the hood and wheels lay several feet away from the rest of the car.

"MY BABY! WHAT DID Y'ALL DO TO MY BABY!" Cyborg cried. Beast Boy tried for a smile, but it came out as a fearful grimace.

"Well, Starfire was all moody, and she didn't want to play Meg-Monkeys 3, or eat a tofu burger, or play Stank Ball, and you're always talking about how much you love working on the T-car, so I thought me and Star could, you know, make it even better, but there was a spider, and one of your tools sprayed fire, and-" Beast Boy's hurried tirade of excuses was drowned out by Cyborg's yelling.

"You went messing around with my blow torch!"

Beast Boy tried and failed at another smile.

"Oh well, you seem pretty busy, we'll just be leaving, bye now!" Beast Boy grabbed Starfire and ran off in record time. Raven encased the hood and tires in black energy and carefully reattached them to the T-car.

"Now you see why I need your help," Cyborg said as he tossed her a rag, smiling. After a moment, Raven smiled back.

Over the next three hours Raven helped Cyborg change the oil, buff out scratches, wax the hood, replace a hub cap, and a thousand other routine tasks that Cyborg clearly loved. And, to her surprise, Raven found that she was enjoying herself. Ok, the car wasn't as good as a book and the tasks weren't exactly fun, but just working on the car with Cyborg was nice, definitely therapeutic. Maybe her father sucked, but at least Raven had found a dependable big brother in Cyborg.

When not even Cyborg could think of another maintenance job for the T-car they leaned back and exchanged smiles. Cyborg mopped his brow with an oil rag.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on with you or am I gonna have to ask Robin?" Cyborg dropped the bomb without warning.

"No, and what does Robin have to do with any of this?" Raven said, her voice a monotone. Way to kill a moment, big bro.

"Come on, Rae, you and Robin acting weird at the same time? We're Titans, we don't get coincidences." Cyborg crossed his arms and settled himself more comfortably against the side of the T-car. "I'm not asking for everything, I just want to know what's up." Raven glared for a moment before all the fight drained out of her.

"I…I don't even know."

"So you're miserable for no reason?"

"No, I know what it is, I just…arrrrgghh," Raven moaned, and a hammer bent into a prefect pretzel shape. Cyborg took his time unbending the hammer. Raven took a deep breath.

"Promise you won't tell anyone?" She asked.

"Promise."

"The past few months I've been having…nightmares." Raven said, loathe to open up and disgusted with how weak she was becoming.

"Nightmares? Is that all?" Cyborg asked, skeptical. "You wouldn't be hiding like this if that was your only problem." Raven huffed.

"I was remembering Trigon and the prophecy in my sleep," Raven elaborated. "It was sapping my focus, wearing me out, and keeping me from meditating." Raven stopped, hoping this would be enough to satisfy him. For a moment Cyborg was quiet, and Raven dared to hope she could go back to her room.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Cyborg asked.

"It was my problem, not yours. And it shouldn't matter anyway, they were just dreams." She said, maintaining her monotone and snuffing out the little flame of doubt that momentarily sprung to mind at these last words.

"And how does Robin fit into out of this?" Cyborg's voice was lower, and Raven stiffened, uncomfortable.

"Two nights ago, I came down to the main room to get some tea, and Robin was there. We talked for a while, and I, er, let slip that I was having nightmares." Raven stopped again, hoping that Cyborg would be content with this. He stood with his arms crossed, clearly waiting for her to finish. Raven cringed at the thought of telling him everything that had happened in the past two days, but she didn't even have the energy to argue anymore. Truly pathetic.

"He helped me figure a few things out. Later, after we investigated the jewelry store, you and Beast Boy were fighting like idiots, so I went to see what was wrong with him for myself, just returning the favor. He told me that he used to fight this new guy, Two Face, back before he became a Titan. Then last night we talked for a while in the medicine ward for a while. That's it."

Cyborg stared at Raven, clearly sizing her up.

"So there's nothing going on between you and Robin?"

"No." The hood blew off the T-car, hit the ceiling of the garage, and crashed on top of the car. Raven didn't twitch. Cyborg screamed. Damn it Passion. "Alright, I've been a little uncomfortable around him since we talked, but I would be uncomfortable if it was anyone. I don't like admitting this sort of thing." Raven glared at Cyborg with the last two sentences and pulled her hood up. Cyborg's expression matched his emotions just then: dark, stern, and protecting.

"Don't let Robin hurt you like he hurt Star," Cyborg warned. And then in a lower tone, "Spiky haired little punk better watch himself. Never thought Robin would end up as one of those guys." The full meaning behind Cyborg's mumblings took a moment to click into place.

"Starfire broke up with him."

"What?" Cyborg started. Apparently he hadn't realized that he had been speaking out loud.

"Robin didn't break up with Starfire. _She_ broke up with _him_. And when he tried to talk to her about it, she punched him in the jaw. And there is nothing like that going on between me and Robin, because Robin is not 'one of those guys.'" Raven put a little more force into the last part than she normally would have. For some reason (probably Passion's fault), she felt a need to defend Robin.

"Oh." Cyborg's face reddened. Raven tried to block her mind from the embarrassment and shame he gave off. "Then why has Star been crying all over the Tower?"

"Because she's Starfire and she overreacts," Raven said. Cyborg grinned sheepishly, much like Beast Boy had a few hours ago. Raven rolled her eyes and fixed Cyborg's car. No sense in wasting three hours of work. "You should be more careful about jumping to conclusions." Raven warned.

"Yeah, heheh." Cyborg rubbed the back of his neck. Well, at least Raven had succeeded in making him as uncomfortable as she was.

Raven suddenly realized that she had said was true. Robin wouldn't get involved with anyone while Starfire was hurting. And he wasn't one to use people and leave them. The reflection left her with mixed feelings.

"So, are you and Robin, you know…" Cyborg trailed off. Raven raised an eyebrow, waiting for the rest of the question. "Going out?" he finished lamely. Raven felt ice coat her stomach.

"No." The truth of the answer felt strangely painful, like something had bit her when she said it. Stupid Passion. Cyborg's human eye gleamed, and Raven could sense a change come over his demeanor but was too tired to figure out what it was.

"A word of advice Raven: never be afraid to ask." Cyborg told her as they walked out. Raven paused in the hall, bemused. Ask who what? Cyborg turned and grinned at her from the end of the hall.

"See ya at dinner, Rae." Raven stood stupidly while Cyborg walked away. Raven leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and slid to the floor. Her hood blocked out the light as she laid her forehead on her knees. Her emotions were running rampant, and Raven could feel her body ache with tiredness.

This had to end.

Raven stood up and marched down the hall, phasing through walls toward the gym.

A man sat behind a desk in a dimly lit room. The walls were paneled with old but well maintained teak. The only source of illumination came from an old office lamp on an oaken desk. The man behind the desk meticulously scanned a sheet of paper, his bald head gleaming in the lamp's light. He silently jotted down notes, underlined, crossed out, and signed various sections of the page with the ease of long practice. With a sigh he placed the page on his right side and picked up another from a stack of papers on his left.

"Was it quite necessary for us to meet here tonight?" The bald man asked without looking up from his work. "I need to finish this paperwork for tomorrow, and I would have finished by now if we had met at my office instead."

"You would have me walk down the streets of Metropolis and through the front doors of your office? I thought we were supposed to be allies, Luthor." The man sitting across the desk leaned forward to place a china tea cup and saucer on the desk, temporarily throwing his blue military uniform, black locks, and clawed faced into the light. Lex Luther raised the finished document in his right hand. A woman in a gray uniform stepped back from the wall behind him and wordlessly placed the document in a bag slung over one shoulder before retreating a pace to stand in her previous position.

"Thank you, Mercy," Luther said to the woman behind him before turning back to his companion. "Quite right, Mister Savage. Forgive me, it's been a long day of board meetings, and your request to discuss our plans was unexpected to say the least. And speaking of board meetings, are you certain we should include the clown in all of this? Making him our equal seems a tad risky. I am not in the habit of taking risks." Vandal Savage laced his immense fingers together.

"Unlike the second triumvirate, we three are equals in every sense of the word." The Neanderthal replied. "Without him, our plans cannot succeed. And he did not become the arch-nemesis of the darkest member of the Justice League for nothing."

"Hahaha, how right you are, my thuggish friend."

A demented face, heavily painted white except for the red lips, skipped out of the gloom, tartar-yellow teeth bared in an unnaturally large smile and matching eyes narrowed with wicked delight. The Clown Prince of Crime threw a friendly arm around Savage's shoulders, his bright purple suit and dark green hair conspicuous even in the gloom.

"Nice place you got here, Vandal old chum," The Joker laughed. "Cave sweet cave, hahahahahahahaa! But ole Lexi, I'm hurt that you don't trust me. I thought we were friends. But then again, maybe you only understand business. Is that it, Lexi? Is this just a three way merger for you, hmm?"

Lex Luthor brushed a speck of dust off his thirty thousand dollar lapel and smiled benignly at his accomplice.

"Of course not, I was simply referring to your erratic nature, my good clown. You see, your record indicates that you tend to go a little overboard with the exact brand of unnecessary civilian killings that attract the attention of the Justice League." Luthor said smoothly.

"Aye, but the League and the Doom Patrol are not our only opponents now," Savage interjected, picking up his saucer and cup as he did so. "The Brain was right to be concerned about this new generation of so called heroes. We must tread patiently, or else be made a laughing stock by these hormonally imbalanced foes."

"Hahhhaha, I'm already a laughing stock!" the Joker crowed. "So they can't hurt me, now can they?" Lex sighed.

"Wasn't your friend Mr. Dent supposed to meet us here as well?" The billionaire asked.

"Oh, Harvey won't be coming today," The Joker waved aside the question easily. "It's a long commute from that backwater town to here, and besides he's almost as eager as I am to know how many pretty little assassins are scouring Gotham for the pair of Bats."

"And how many hunters are seeking our nefarious pests?" Vandal questioned, taking a sip of his drink.

"Last I checked all of the major players, except our special friend in Jump City of course, who recently freed big rocky for us. And Sportsmaster agreed to come to our next meeting, but he's not taking advantage of hunting season just yet. And that leaves baby Cheshire in her frozen prison." The Joker counted off the major assassins on his fingers. "Oh, and there are the wannabees and common cutthroats, but I don't think we need to count them, now do we?"

"Certainly not," Vandal agreed. "Although the lack of assassins hunting the birds worries me. Brushogun's defeat has made them leery." Savage smiled and touched the scars on his face, a reminder of what comes from underestimating your enemy. "Is the next stage of the plan ready, friend?"

The Joker's grin widened even further and narrowed into a malicious line. When he spoke it was to Luthor that he looked, not Savage.

"Heheheeehe, don't worry your heads off, I know what has to be done, and everything is in place." Luthor sighed.

"It's a shame our friend in Jump City couldn't have freed the lot of them. Why he insisted on only releasing Cinderblock I'll never know, but now the security is tighter than almost any other jail this side of Saturn. This piece of the puzzle is too delicate for mistakes."

"Why Luthor, that's why we're visiting my old pal. I'm sure Vandal's ravishing friend can convince the old man to give us a hand." The Joker said, sitting on the edge of the desk and leaning toward Luthor so that the day-glow flower in his buttonhole was pointed at the more sane man ominously. Mercy shifted ever so slightly, tightening her finger on her holstered weapon. But the Joker made no move to strike.

"And the girl?" Vandal questioned.

"Our scaly friend is more than capable of taking care of her," the Joker asserted. The room resounded with his horrible, shrieking laughter.

Ok, I know there wasn't as much Rae/Rob as you were hoping for, but I plan on setting up the next chapter by tonight or tomorrow and that one is going to be a big one for everyone who wants to see our favorite birds together. Unfortunately the big M is farther away than I had first thought, but I'm slipping a few extra treats along the way. And I know I've said it a thousand times, but _**REVIEW!**_


	8. Explanations, Love, and Chaos

It occurred to me that I didn't have a disclaimer until now, but you all know it anyway. Enjoy, and remember the next chapter will be better, and the chapter after that even better ;)

Raven swept into the gym, fully intent on ending whatever the hell was going on right then and there, when she stumbled to a halt. The open space in the center of the gym had been replaced by an elaborate set of balance beams, monkey bars, and suspended metal rings. Robin was busy sprinting along a balance bean about as thick as Raven's wrist. He leapt, grabbing two rings handing from wires in the ceiling and, keeping his body and arms perfectly straight, flipped three times. Halfway through his fourth flip Robin noticed Raven and stopped upside down.

"O, uh, hey, Raven, what are you doing here?" He asked. Robin completed the fourth flip and landed with one foot on a monkey bar. He leapt off, rolled, and threw a passing punch at a punching bag. Raven narrowed her eyes. Cyborg was right; Robin was using new moves. Or at least he was fighting differently. The grunts and yells that usually accompanied his training were gone, and instead of flinging his arm back to punch Robin had jabbed forward in a sharper, cleaner move. Raven forced herself to focus as Robin walked toward her. Robin stopped about four feet away like he had hit an invisible wall.

"So…" he started when she made no move to speak. "Did you need something?" Raven could feel his emotions through their bond: embarrassment, confusion, excitement. She forced herself to focus and block his thoughts. Her own were bad enough.

"We need to talk," she said flatly, careful to reveal nothing. Robin's emotions spiked. Raven hesitated, unsure how to proceed. Robin's fault. That made her mad.

"What the hell is going on here?" Raven growled. "First you hug me, then you leave me on the street to bleed, and then you kiss me? You can't play around with me, Robin. It's dangerous- you of people should know."

Passion was screeching at Raven, giving her a splitting pain in her skull. Raven reached to grab it, and she heard Robin grunt. Raven looked up to see him picking himself off the floor about ten feet away. Passion switched to screaming at her to help him while Hatred cackled. Just. Fucking. Amazing.

Raven stalled, trying to reel in her wayward emotions. Robin stood without complaint, but this time didn't move closer.

"I probably deserved that," he muttered.

Raven didn't dignify him with a response, but guilt was beginning to gnaw at her.

"Look, Raven, I'm sorry if you think I'm messing around here," Robin said. He was speaking slowly, choosing his words carefully. "But I'm not trying to play with your emotions or anything. I just…"

"What?" Raven snapped, irrationally nervous.

"I…" Robin just stood, seeming to have lost the ability to speak.

"As much as I would love to play twenty questions, this isn't a game, Robin. Tell me why you kissed me. Now." Raven snarled. Robin took a deep breath.

"I'm…I'm sorry I kissed you, ok. I thought-" Raven didn't hear the rest. She was icy inside. She turned and swept away, determined to reach an unpopulated area before she went off. Raven wasn't even sure what emotion this was.

A sudden explosion of panic shredded the wall she had built over the bond she shared with Robin. A hand grabbed her arm like it was his lifeline.

"Wait," he gasped. Raven began levitating. She didn't want to wait. She wanted to leave.

"Azarath Metrion Zin-MMMMM!" A gloved hand covered her mouth. She reached to pry it off, and Robin's other hand grabbed her wrists, rendering her completely helpless. His emotions inundated her mind: panic, fear, desperation.

"Just let me explain," Robin practically shouted. "I meant that I was sorry I kissed you because you thought I was playing around. I'm sorry I messed with your emotions and made you so angry. But I'm not sorry I kissed you. I mean, I am sorry, but because I didn't enjoy it or anything. I really, really liked kissing you. Loved it. But I'm not trying to screw with you. I don't know…I mean…this isn't drive by flirting!" He blurted.

Robin's emotions were an overwhelming maelstrom mixing with her own. Confusion, concern, panic, anxiety, and the nameless _I'm an idiot_ emotion swirled around, just slow enough for Raven to recognize them but too quickly for her to analyze them.

Robin stopped talking as suddenly as if someone had stuffed a gag in his mouth. He stared at her, masked eyes wide, waiting for her to respond. His desperation mounted the longer she went without answering. For a moment, Raven was touched that he was this desperate to explain. Then she realized what an idiot Robin was.

Raven made a humming noise around Robin's hand and shook her wrists, displaying her complete inability to communicate. Robin blinked and let go. His hands hovered next to her, as though he thought she would vanish as soon as she got the chance. Raven thought about it for a moment since it would be a fair punishment for grabbing her like that. But she dismissed the notion almost immediately. Running away would solve nothing.

"Say that again, but slower this time," Raven commanded. Robin took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry I stirred up your emotions, but I'm not sorry I kissed you. I'm not screwing around with you, but I really don't know what's going on." Robin said, speaking slowly like she had asked.

"Never grab me again," Raven warned. "Unless I tell you to." She added on an impulse. As soon as she heard the words come out of her mouth Raven mentally kicked herself. Robin's makeshift jungle gym promptly fell all over the room. Damn it Passion. Robin smirked slightly, but the smile slipped from his face after a moment.

"Look, Raven, I'm not entirely sure what's going on between us, and I'm still getting over Star. But I promise I won't hurt you."

"You've already made me dangerously unstable," Raven pointed out sharply. Robin winced.

"What can I do to make it up to you?" he asked. Raven thought for a moment.

"Why did you leave so quickly last night?" Robin cringed.

"It felt right, kissing you, but afterward I realized that…I kissed you." He said it like he still couldn't quite believe it or determine the significance behind it. Raven could relate. "I kinda expected you to hurl me into another dimension or something, and we had never gone out or anything, so I was a little, er, awkward, and…yeah."

Robin scratched his arm, radiating discomfort. Raven compared this reaction to her own and found that she couldn't blame him. She hadn't been much better.

"So where did you go?" Raven challenged. "Cyborg said you came in at four am."

"To catch Cinderblock," Robin smirked and leaned against a wall. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" Raven hid her surprise with the ease of long practice.

"So you did see me?" Robin nodded. "So whom were you talking to?" Robin straightened, surprise flitting across his face.

"Didn't you see?"

"I heard you two talking, but I didn't see him. Who was it?" Robin hesitated, reluctance like wet cement over his aura. After maybe two minutes Raven restrained a sigh and turned to leave. A hand grabbed hers for the second time that day. Raven looked back, sensing Robin was fighting some powerful instinct.

"Batman," he said. "I was talking to Batman." Raven was stunned. Batman, the Batman- that's who the frosty aura belonged to?

"The Batman?" Raven clarified. "Your Batman?" Robin nodded slowly.

"Please don't mention it to the others. He's not here to interfere, and he'd be absolutely enraged. Bats is big on privacy." Robin told her. Raven knew better than to tell the others, but another thought had occurred to her.

"Last night you said Bruce Wayne raised you," she recalled. "But earlier you had said Batman raised you." Raven felt Robin's momentary stab of panic through their bond. When he spoke, she reached out to his mind, focusing on his emotions.

"When I lost my mother and father, I gained two new fathers: Bruce Wayne and Batman. They raised me together." Raven frowned. Robin was telling the full truth, but he still gave off twinges of guilt. She decided that they would talk about this later. There was one more thing she had to clarify, the real reason she was here.

"So where do we stand now?" As soon as she asked a weight set crumpled into a shapeless mass. Robin was silent for so long Raven wondered if he had even heard.

"I don't know." He said eventually. "I just…" Robin shook his head. Raven sighed.

"That makes two of us," she muttered. For a moment they stood in the perfect silence of the training room. Then Raven slapped Robin as hard as she could. The crisp sound echoed satisfyingly in the huge room. Robin stared at her, hurt and bewilderment running through their bond.

"That was for leaving so early last night." She snarled. Robin's shoulders slumped slightly.

Raven reached for his face, and he flinched. She stared him in the eyes, and Robin stilled, trust flowing from him. She laid her palm against the near identical red print of her hand that had blossomed on his cheek. The red mark faded as Raven siphoned the pain away. Before she could remove her hand, Robin had clasped it in his. She froze, uncertain and wary. Robin held her gaze, making it impossible for her to look anywhere but at his eyes under the mask.

Robin was just as warm as she had remembered, and his cheek surprisingly soft to the touch. Without breaking eye contact, Robin swept back a few strands of hair that had fallen outside the protection of her hood. His other hand lingered against the back of her skull, so light as to be almost feathery. He leaned forward, still looking her in the eyes.

Fear, desire, excitement, and another, more nervous emotion, like desire but softer and less selfish, ran through the bond between them like lightning, regular as heart beats. Raven could feel the same emotions rushing through her mind. Robin paused or slowed once or twice, his mixture of uncertainty and determination mingling to quicken her breath. When he was just six inches away Raven completely forgot to restrain her emotions.

The room imploded. Weights flew through the walls. The punching bag split. Balance beans cracked and split. The battle robots piled in the corner burst into flames. The treadmill melted, and the ultra heavy-duty weight system crashed to the floor. Horror and shame washed over Raven, and the sprinklers that had just come to life fell from the ceiling, releasing torrents of water instead of carefully controlled streams. Robin yelled something and grabbed Raven's arm, but she willed herself to become ethereal and fell through the floor, slipping from his grasp and ghosting between walls until she plopped down on her bed.

Raven realized only then that she had left Robin to deal with the massive mess she had made, and her stoic façade vanished completely. Raven's room quickly deteriorated into a wasteland as she put her head on her knees and silently squeezed hot tears from her eyes. What was wrong with her? Why did she have to be like this? What the hell was Robin thinking? She was empathetically connected to his brain, and still she wasn't sure what he thought of her or she of him. But it didn't matter because if they tried that again someone would get hurt, maybe even killed. She huddled on her bed, cloak fully encasing her, utterly still, completely silent save for the occasional cracking a tendril of energy smashed another possession of hers while she closed her eyes and allowed the hot, salty tears of frustration and confusion tangle in her lashes.

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Robin leaned back in his desk chair and closed his eyes, running a damp glove across his face. It had taken three hours to get the situation in the training room under control. Most of the equipment was still unusable, but the room was no longer in danger of falling apart. Robin hadn't told his friends what had happened, but something in the scowls Cyborg sent his way whenever the half-robot thought Robin wasn't looking told him that he had guessed. But Robin was only concerned with one Titan at the moment.

No one had tried to talk to Raven. The sound of breaking objects had been audible from three floors away. Robin banged his forehead on the edge of the desk, savagely welcoming the pain the action elicited. What was he thinking? He scared Raven away for good this time. The worst part was he didn't know if things would be better or worse if he had actually kissed her.

Robin groaned and sat back. Raven. Just her name threw him into turmoil. He could still feel her soft lips on his own, tasting of the savory herbs she liked in her tea so much. A bliss Robin so rarely felt had immediately enveloped him when he kissed her last night: peace. Kissing Raven had put him at peace, calmed his nerves, and soothed his anxieties. When her small hands fisted into his shirt, Robin had felt that he had won something precious. But still the image of Starfire clung to the back of his mind, irrationally guilting him every time he thought about the shadowy empath. He wasn't sure if he was ready for another relationship, and every time he thought about the demoness it left him so confused that he honestly had no clue what he felt about her.

Not that it mattered anyway. Today he had succeeded in scaring her off for good. The Joker was right: he really should have been called the Boy Blunder.

Robin stared blankly at his computer when the chat link popped into his mind. He frowned. Robin hadn't talked to him in years, but if he had ever needed his advice…

Robin typed the address into the special communication frequency. Robin wondered how long it would be before he picked up, if he ever would. There was no reason why he should; after all, Robin hadn't seen him in over three years.

"Master Richard! I am overjoyed to see you again." Alfred beamed up at him, face aglow. The sight of the old man brought a lump to Robin's throat.

"It's great to see you too Alfred. I've really missed you."

"And I you, young master," Alfred replied. Robin smiled.

"No need to call me master, Alfie," he replied. "Hey, I'm sorry I haven't called before now."

"Not at all, Master Richard. When Master Bruce left for training in Japan I didn't see or hear a word from him for over ten years. You're about seven years early," the old butler joked. "Have you been eating well, Master Richard? Getting a good night's sleep? Resting after your battles? Kicking the nefarious butts around your new city?"

"I've been fine, Alfred," Robin assured him. Robin found himself telling the older man all that had happened in Jump City since he arrived there, of the Titans' founding, Slade, the pizza, the H.I.V.E. academy, Beast Boy's messiness, the Brotherhood of Evil, all their other villains, Brushogun, even the recent breakup with Starfire. It felt so natural to talk to Alfred, so right and easy in a way talking to Bruce had never been.

"You certainly have been a busy young lad, Master Richard," Alfred chuckled before taking a sip of tea. The aged but still active butler was the only person Robin knew who drank tea more than Raven. Thinking about Raven reminded him about earlier that day, and his good mood deflated.

"What is the matter, Master Richard?" Alfred asked, frowning as he placed the sauced on the table.

"Nothing, nothing's wrong," Robin responded, trying for a smile. Alfred glared at him sternly and sighed.

"You have not become a better liar while you were away, Master Richard. Now tell me what gloom pervades your thoughts at this moment." Alfred crossed one leg on top of the other and stared at Robin over his interlaced fingers.

Robin hesitated for only a moment before the whole story came tumbling out: how he and Raven had a bond, Raven's destiny, Trigon's rise, Robin's descent into hell to save her, Trigon's defeat, the talk he and Raven had a few nights ago, Two Face, Raven's getting shot, the kiss, the fiasco of a few hours ago, everything. Robin had forgotten how positively wonderful it was to have a confidant whom he respected, who could advise him and keep his secrets without bias. When he was finished Robin grabbed his head and moaned.

"This…this is a mess Alfred. I just have no idea what I'm doing or what I'm supposed to do or what I want to do." Robin's voice cracked from overuse. "Maybe I should give up, focus on the missions. I was fine doing that before. And the mission are a lot less painful." Robin muttered. Alfred took his time responding. Throughout it all the venerable old man had remained quiet, allowing Robin to speak until he wore himself out.

"Do you know what happy occasion I am currently celebrating behind Master Bruce's back?" Alfred questioned subtly. Robin frowned and shook his head. "Master Bruce caught miss Selena wit a stolen ring but did not turn her into the authorities. He decided to take a chance at happiness, however slim a chance it may be, instead of doing what he had so often in the past and focus only on the mission."

"When you left us, Master Richard, I was disappointed to say the least, but I understood why you left. You wished to become a better person. And while Master Bruce is impeccable in so many areas, he has always been woefully lacking in his ability to determine what is truly important. Now, after all these years, he is beginning to improve in that regard, which includes his recent visit to your tower, I might add. If you wish to avoid his greatest mistakes, I would spend tonight and tomorrow thinking about this young lady whom you are so infatuated by to determine what must be done."

"But what if I can't figure it out?" Robin protested. "What if she leaves while I'm locked in my room thinking?

"From what you have told me about her, I find the latter to be unlikely, though as I have not met her for myself I cannot speak with any true degree of certainty." Alfred stated. "As for the former, you must find what it is that is _best _for you as soon as possible, whether that entails courting her or abstaining from such activities. Otherwise you will suffer as Mater Bruce did."

Robin remembered the nights when they fought Catwoman and Bruce would simply stare into his soup. Robin shuddered.

"I'll-I'll try Alfred," Robin promised. "And Alfred." The butler raised a single eyebrow. "Thank you. For everything." Alfred smiled.

"My pleasure, Master Richard, my pleasure."

Ok everyone, tune in tomorrow/Tuesday for a girls' night out, ice villains, and a certain woman named Selena! Yes, I'm a huge Cat/Bat fan. Sue me. And once more… REVIEW!


	9. Girls Talk and Nobody Wins

I want to give a special shoutout to everyone who's reviewing, especially **KunnegAndris**. You rock!

Hey everyone, sorry about the typos in these chapters. I have a mild case of dyslexia, so I'm going through all of them and fixing the misspellings and mistakes.

The next three days passed without incident. No emergencies called for their attention. The team had half-finished fixing the training room. No one had seen or heard anything from Raven. Robin resisted the urge to contact her. Starfire had banged on and yelled through her doors at least eight times with no results. Cyborg's attempts to reach her through her communicator were equally ineffective. Robin had a vague sense through their bond that she was just in her room. The bond had been steadily strengthening until it was a throbbing ball of misery, omnipresent in the back of Robin's mind, but he didn't attempt to talk to her. Raven clearly wanted her space. For now at least, he would give it to her.

On the fourth day after the training room fiasco, Robin was on his way to his room when he noticed Cyborg standing in the middle of the hall. The larger teen stood with his arms crossed across his chest, his metallic bulk effectively blocking the hallway. When Cyborg looked at him, Robin had to resist the urge to draw his bo staffs.

"We need to talk," Cyborg told him. Robin nodded mutely. He had a pretty good idea what they needed to talk about. Cyborg led the way into his room. Robin spared a moment to appreciate his friend's technological savvy. The room was lined with every manor of computer and machine, only half of which Robin could identify at a glance. No doubt some of these devices did not exist outside this room.

Robin turned at the sound of a lock clicking into place. Cyborg turned to face him, back against the door, as if he thought Robin might try and make a break for it if he didn't guard the exit.

"Man, what is going on with you and Raven?" Cyborg asked. Robin crossed his arms.

"Is it any of your business?" Robin asked. A rhetorical question, of course.

"Yeah, it is." Cyborg asserted quietly. Robin didn't fail to notice that the panels on Cyborg's right arm were loosening, a precursor to forming the sonic canon. Robin narrowed his eyes.

"I don't have time for this."

"Then make time. When you screw around with Raven, you're screwing with me."

"Wait. Do you…like Raven?" The notion was almost unthinkable. But once Robin managed, he felt an immediate dislike of Cyborg that had nothing to do with Raven. Nope, nothing at all.

"Duh," Cyborg said. "She's like my little sister. And that's why you're not leaving until you tell me what's going on." The dislike lessened as quickly as it had arrived.

Robin sighed, crossed his arms, and looked to the side, stalling for time. Robin opened his mouth to give Cyborg the four-second version (I-tried-to-kiss-Raven-and-scared-the-crap-out-of-her-because-I'm-a-moron), when something Bruce had told him clicked into place: keep the other guy talking.

"Did she tell you anything?" he asked.

"Not enough, and not since the gym turned into a war zone." Cyborg growled.

"But what _did_ she tell you?" Robin pressed.

"I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone."

"So only tell me the stuff I would already know."

"FINE! She said that she was having nightmares, and you helped her." Cyborg said, clearly struggling to keep his temper under control. "And that you and this Two Face guy go way back. Now it's your turn to start talking." Robin took a deep breath. He decided to give Cyborg an abbreviated version.

"Four days ago Raven came into the gym to talk. She wanted to know what was going on with me. We talked, I did something stupid, and she lost control. It wasn't her fault; those nightmares have been sapping her control for a long time. Now she's hiding because she's afraid she'll destroy the tower and she doesn't want to see me. And I don't blame her." Cyborg narrowed his eyes. The mechanical one began to glow a little brighter. His human eye was still scarier.

"What- exactly- did you do, Robin?" Robin braced himself. He had to bite the bullet.

"I tried to kiss her." Cyborg was silent for a full nineteen seconds.

"What _the hell_ were you thinking man?"

"Well, ah, it wasn't exactly our first time," Robin admitted. Only Batman's training prevented his cheeks from flaring fire engine red, but as it was he knew they were a faint pink.

"You think you can just go screw with Raven's feelings like that? Cause-"

"I'm not screwing around here," Robin yelled over him. "I'm not playing with her. She's more important than that." He added in a quieter voice. Cyborg had already formed both arms into sonic canons when Robin interrupted him. Robin's teammate continued to glare at him for another three seconds. Then, like snow melting off a lawn, his face morphed into a wide-eyed expression of shock, and the canons melded back into human arms.

"You…you like-"

"I don't know," Robin admitted. "It's all so confusing. But…I think so." Cyborg narrowed his eyes again.

"Is this gonna turn out like it did with Starfire?" He asked.

"No." Robin said immediately.

"It better not," Cyborg warned. "It's bad enough that you hurt Star-"

"She broke up with me," Robin spat.

"Rae told me that," Cyborg informed him. "And I asked Star about it yesterday. She says the same thing. But she's still crying all over the place, and I don't want to see Raven that way too. And it's a little harsh that you're kissing on Raven right after you broke up with Star."

"Look, I…I'm not messing around with Raven. And I am _definitely_ not going to let this turn out like it did with Starfire." Robin swore, both to Cyborg and himself. "And Star…that still hurts, but I'm getting over it. I'm glad we broke up. I mean, I'm not happy that she's miserable and that I had to lock myself up for weeks because I couldn't stand to see her, but- you know what I'm trying to say." Robin snapped. "Uhg, I just…me and Star, that wasn't going to work out. And Raven…I don't even know." Robin sat down on the edge of Cyborg's stupid metal tray that served as his bed. He put his head in his hands for a count of ten. When he looked up Cyborg was smirking at him.

"You feel guilty?" Cyborg pressed. "You feel like you're bout to puke all over yourself every time you see her? You want to kiss her, but you're afraid that she'll knock out your teeth if you even think about it?"

"I, uh, yeah." Robin stuttered, standing up. Cyborg went to stand next to him.

"Good," Cyborg said, smirking. "You deserve it." Robin frowned, but Cyborg smiled. "You're going to be careful around Raven, right? Make sure she doesn't blow up the tower?"

"Yeah, I am." Robin said quietly. Cyborg clapped him on the back.

"You wont tell anyone, right?" Rabin said sharply.

"Course not," Cyborg promised. No one said anything for about two minutes.

"So…are we cool?" Robin asked, his voice much smaller than usual. Cyborg smiled.

"Frosty." They fist bumped and suddenly everything was back to the way it was. Robin heaved a huge sigh of relief. Ever since he broke up with Star, Cyborg had been more distant toward him. Losing Cyborg had been harder than losing Starfire. Cyborg and Robin had had their differences, but usually Robin thought of Cyborg like a brother. The two friends clapped each other on the back in a one-arm bro-hug, as Cyborg had once termed it.

"Did you feel this way when you started going out with Bumble Bee?" Robin asked, careful to keep his voice as innocent as possible. Cyborg's reaction was immediate and amusing. The larger boy jumped up and started scratching his head vigorously, looking anywhere but at Robin.

"What are you talking about? Me and Bee aren't a couple, that's just dumb!" Cyborg started whistling and sweating more than was natural. Robin smirked.

"Remember when I told you my communicator was receiving everyone's text messages and you told me you'd fix it when you had the time?" Robin inquired slyly. Cyborg's face went slack.

"Oh, man, how much of that did you get?"

"Pretty much all of it," Robin admitted. Cyborg moaned, his cheek reddening. "And I can't believe that you two are going on secret dates," Robin told him, speaking louder to drown out his friend's complaints. "We all saw it coming."

"You did?" Cyborg asked, face slack. Robin smirked again.

"Tell you what: Bumble Bee talked to me last night. Jinx and Kid Flash are trying out different places, looking for a permanent place to stay. Right now they're staying with the Titans East. Once you're done the training center, I'll call Bee and tell her that she can bring them over. Then you two can go on a proper date in the city. I'll even cover for you if you decide that you're too chicken to tell the others." Robin offered.

"But, I was going to fix the training room anyway." Cyborg protested.

"We need it fixed as soon as possible, and I know you wanted to take a few days to take a bunch of measurements to install a soda machine. This seemed easier than looking over your shoulder and ordering you to rebuild it the way it was." Robin said.

"So, the sooner I rebuild the training room-"

"The sooner you and Bee hit the city," Robin finished. Cyborg jumped to his feet and darted out of the room. By the time Robin walked through the door the sound of a pneumatic nail gun could be heard from the training room. Robin smiled and strode toward the training room leisurely.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

It had been six days since Robin had tried to kiss her. Raven hadn't left her room once. Through meditation, she resisted the normal urges to eat, drink, and use the bathroom, but she was miserable. Her nightmares were worse than ever, and Raven was terrified that she would destroy the Tower if she left her room. Every item in her room had been reduced to a fine powder, even the paint and plaster on her walls. Only her bed, hand mirror, and a few of the more heavily enchanted books in her closet remained.

"Uh, Raven? Are you in there?" Raven recognized the voice. She uncurled herself from the fetal position and walked over to the door. She slid the steel back just enough to see Beast Boy's face.

"I don't want to talk," she intoned listlessly.

"I get it, but, well, Bumble Bee, Kid Flash, and Jinx showed up, and Cyborg made dinner…" he trailed off. Raven could feel his concern beneath the very, very heavy layers of fear and uncertainty.

"No," she replied. Beast Boy put his hand on the door before she could close it.

"Robin told me to tell you that he gets that you don't want to talk to him, but if you don't come out and have dinner with us he's going to take down your door and carry you to the table himself." Beast Boy said. Raven felt her heart sink another notch lower into her gut. Is that what he thought?

"What I want doesn't matter," she sighed tonelessly. Beast Boy started to reach out to her before he checked himself. Raven didn't need a bond the read the changeling's emotions: he wore his emotions so blatantly she wondered how no one else noticed. She could see the concern and fear surrounding him.

Beast Boy swayed back and forth for a moment before he gathered his courage and gave Raven a hug. Raven knew without having to probe his thoughts that Beast Boy wasn't so much afraid of her right now as he was of screwing up. The hug was the only thing he could think to do to help. She returned the gesture, but she found that she was subconsciously angling her body away from him, restricting the hug to her shoulders and arms.

"Thanks, Beast Boy," Raven murmured. The shape shifter patted her hair clumsily.

"No prob." They pulled away. Beast Boy smiled. "Come one. You won't believe what Cyborg made for dinner."

Raven drifted into the main room with her hood up and head angled down, trying to avoid being noticed. Bumble Bee was chatting with Cyborg and Starfire, but Raven noticed that Cyborg and the Leader of Titans East were catching each other's eyes more often than was normal.

Kid Flash and Jinx stood to one side. Kid Flash was chatting amiably with Beast Boy, unperturbed by the green boy's jokes. Jinx looked more uncomfortable. When the sorceresses looked each other in the eyes Jinx tried for a smile and ended up just looking anxious. Raven simply nodded slightly. The doors hissed open, and Robin walked in, cape fluttering behind him. Raven tugged her hood tighter over her head and turned away so as not to catch his gaze. She felt Robin's eyes flit over her back, but to her relief he didn't approach her.

"It's great to see you guys," Robin greeted their guests. "How have you been since the big fight with the Brotherhood of Evil?"

"Not bad," Kid Flash responded. Raven looked out of the corner of her eye to see Jinx drift closer to his side as Robin stopped a few feet in front of them.

"Hey, Kid, do you think I could have a word?" Robin asked.

"Sure." The two moved to the far side of the room. Robin's back was facing Raven. He spoke quietly. Kid Flash responded, his face furrowing into a confused frown. Robin kept talking. After a minute or two Kid Flash's face morphed into an expression of shock. Raven could feel a prickle of fear from across the room. It took enormous effort on Raven's part not to probe her bond with Robin. She could sense that his thoughts were dark and cloudy, but she resisted any other information. Just being in the same room with him was making her hands glow with a halo of black energy, forcing her to hide her hands in her cloak.

As the boys talked, Kid Flash muttered something. Robin glanced over his shoulder at Raven, and Kid Flash's eyes darted toward Jinx. Jinx caught Raven's eye, and the pink haired sorceress narrowed her eyes. Raven inclined her head toward her. They came to a silent understanding: the boys were hiding something from them, and they were going to find out what. _But not anytime soon_, Raven thought. She needed to avoid Robin for now.

"Yo! Y'all get your butts over here." Cyborg shouted. In his hands was a cylindrical pot big enough to fit the back half of a horse. Cyborg set it down in the middle of the table. "Hope your hungry, cause I made my famous three meat spaghetti. And your tofu dogs are on the counter, Grass Stain." Cyborg removed the lid, and aromatic steam filled the room, bathing Raven's face in a warm, moist cloud.

After that Robin and Kid Flash were perfectly normal, at least by their standards. The food was absolutely delicious, but Raven could barely finish a single helping. Everyone else had multiple servings, although Kid Flash and Cyborg tied for first place with seventeen bowls each. They probably would have kept eating, but by then everyone else was done with dinner and ready for fun (except Raven). The pot was still half full.

"So, dudes and dudets, who's up for a night out on the big city?" Beast Boy asked, trying to look cool. A for effort.

"I think I'll pass," Jinx said.

"Pass," Raven echoed.

"Maybe another time," Bumble Bee consoled. Beast Boy was beginning to look a little hurt when Kid Flash spoke up.

"Actually, I think a run through the town would be nice."

"That's like six seconds of sightseeing for you," Jinx muttered.

"I'm with Kid Flash on this one," Robin said.

"I'm cool with that," Cyborg agreed.

"Please, since we are divided, may I make a suggestion?" Starfire asked. Raven was seriously beginning to worry about her. Starfire's voice was rough from lack of use, and she spoke timidly as if in the presence of a sleeping beast that might wake up and devour her at any moment.

"Sure, girl, what do you want?" Bumble Bee said.

"Perhaps the boys could go 'on the town' and we could have a girls' night out here?" Starfire proposed. Raven inwardly groaned at the thought. But in seconds everyone was agreed. Cyborg and Bumble Bee exchanged a glance before speaking up. Kid Flash stopped to murmur something to Jinx before he took off, Beast Boy, Robin, and Cyborg running behind.

The night began easily enough. Starfire convinced the other girls to paint their toenails, which no one else was thrilled about but they relented anyway. Disappointing Starfire right now would be like shooting an orphaned puppy in the foot. They chatted about crime fighting for a while. Jinx was a little edgy on the subject, but she was candid at least.

Later they switched to the annoying habits of the boys they lived with. Bumble Bee entertained them with a spot-on impersonation of Speedy doing his hair, Jinx told an amusing story about Kid Flash tripping over a penny, and Starfire recounted a time last month when Beast Boy's pile of laundry grew to reek so badly that they could still smell it outside of the tower.

Raven sat through it in silence. She dabbed only the lightest possible layer of paint on her toes, so little that she would be able to remove it telekinetically even in her present state. Somehow the topic got on boyfriends. Apparently Jinx was content to constantly move around as long as she was with Kid Flash, and Bumble Bee announced that she and Cyborg had started going out. The older girl seemed shy to take the congratulations.

"Yeah, well, Sparky's a good guy. But what about you and Robin?" Bee asked Star. Starfire's upper lip quivered.

"We are…broken up," she replied. The Tamaranean hugged her legs while Bumble Bee patted her back, guilt dripping off Bee like honey.

"That's why you've been moping," Jinx said. "I didn't even know you could do sad. This is…unnatural. It's like watching Raven smile." Raven just barely retained her deadpan. Jinx was only joking, but Raven's defenses were next to nothing. Both sorceresses awkwardly tried to console Star with little success.

"Robin's a lot stupider than I thought if he broke up with you," Bumble Bee said forcefully. Starfire shook her head.

"It is I who broke up with Robin. Robin is not stupid, and he is very good." She sobbed.

"Then why did you brake up with him?" Jinx asked, frowning.

"Robin is wonderful, but there is much about him that is shaded and dark. He was not content with simply being happy. Robin needs a mission, a battle. When he told me that we could be more than just heroes, he did not mean that we could ever stop being heroes." Bumble Bee rubbed her back forcibly. Starfire shook her head, making a valiant effort to withhold tears. "I do not wish him ill. I wish only for us to continue to be friends and for Robin to find a suitable companion."

Somewhere in Nevermore Passion jumped up and down. Raven hesitated, doubting the wisdom of her question.

"So, if Robin found someone else, someone who he was happy with and someone who was happy with him, you would be ok?" Raven asked, choosing her words carefully. Starfire nodded slowly, yet her tears more than doubled. Raven could hear the boys coming home downstairs, but she knew that she would be needed here for a few more minutes.

Kid Flash, Jinx, and Bumble Bee would be staying at the tower for the night, the next day, and tomorrow night before Bumble Bee headed back to Steel City. Kid Flash and Jinx would stay at the tower for a while longer. Raven didn't care at all about any of this as she made her way back to her room. She was focusing on maintaining her control. Raven had built a meager layer of insulation when she rounded the corner just in time to see the end of Robin's cape disappear into his room. Raven wondered whether or not it would be worth it to take the ten-minute detour to reach her room from here but decided it wasn't worth it.

She was drifting past Robin's room when for the second time that week she sensed a new presence on the other side of the wall. Raven paused. This aura was almost a complete opposite of Batman's aura. This one was hot and fiery in the manner that Raven couldn't quite place her finger on. Not aggression, but something different, akin to amusement. Raven was debating whether or not it was worth the risk of investigating when a yell hit her eardrums at the same time a bolt of panic shot through her bond with Robin. Raven was on the other side of the wall before either the yell or panic had fully settled into her brain.

Robin stood to her left, fists raised in a fighting stance, every line of his body standing with visible tension. To her right, leaning against the wall, was the most alluring woman Raven had ever met. The woman wore an all black body suit that hugged her skin so closely Raven could see every contour of her form but covered her enough to leave an air of mystery. Her eyes and face were hidden behind a mask shaped like a cat's head, and a whip was curled at her side. Her body was absolutely perfect, all lean muscle and curves. Her smile was mischievous and playful, a suggestive look even with the mask on. Clearly she was completely unperturbed with Raven's entrance.

"What are you doing here?" Robin and Raven said in unison. Raven was unexpectedly and unreasonably pleased by the venom in Robin's tone. The strange woman smiled a little more broadly.

"Now that's no way to treat a lady," she purred. "And to think Bats sent me all this way to deliver a message just for you, and you won't even give me a chance to tell you." The woman made it clear that she was speaking to Robin. Raven couldn't help but feel inferior.

"Why would Batman send you, Catwoman?" Robin asked. He dropped the fighting stance, but Raven could see his muscles were still locked like a spring ready to fire.

"Don't tell me Batman didn't tell you the good news," Catwoman pouted. She even made pouting sexy. "Bats and I are together. I promised him I'd stop stealing as long as he could find ways for me to amuse myself. So far, we have each stayed true to our word. But I can't tell you any more unless we're alone. Special orders from Bats."

"Say it now," Robin ordered.

"Most men would kill to be in a locked bedroom with me," she complained. Her aura danced around her, a swirl of amusement and seductive joy. Raven could sense that, like Jinx's comment earlier, this was all just a game. This Catwoman had no interest in doing anything with Robin. The only reason she hadn't knocked on the front door was that it was more entertaining ambush him in his room.

"I'll tell Raven everything eventually anyway," Robin snapped. "You might as well just say it now." Robin's comment almost made Raven lose control. Catwoman looked at Raven, and her eyes lit up. Raven knew how a bird felt when a cat targeted it.

"Those gems are absolutely gorgeous!" Catwoman trilled.

"Don't even think about it, Selena," Robin warned. "This has been a long, long week." Catwoman shrugged.

"Bruce told me to deliver this message when the Justice League came for him," she said, her voice more business-like. "Well, Superman and Wonder Woman came for him almost the moment he got back to Gotham. He will stand before the entire League for a judicial hearing, which may last for several months."

"What are they charging him for?" Raven asked.

"Child endangerment, child negligence, withholding valuable information from the League, assaulting a League member, inability to control unruly subordinates, and negligence resulting in the creation of an illegal global institution." Catwoman counted each charge on her fingers. "If Clark knew about me he'd throw in another fifteen or so additional crimes."

"And who's Clark?" Raven asked.

'Superman, but that's not important," Robin said. Raven swayed back and almost fell over. The secret identity of Superman, who is now trying to jail Batman, is not important? How? "Is there anything else you needed to tell me, Selena?"

Selena tapped her sharp, white teeth with her coiled whip.

"Nope, not that I can think of." Selena stretched casually, pushing her chest out as she did so. Raven tucked herself deeper into her cloak. "Well, I really do wish I could stay and chat, but I have to go back to my babies. They do miss me when I'm away."

Selena strode past Raven and offered a hand to Robin. He shook it stiffly, jaw set. Robin sent waves of discomfort and intense embarrassment rippling through their bond.

"It was wonderful to see you again," Catwoman purred, and the candor behind the statement made Raven want to be sick.

"Give it back to her," Robin told her. Catwoman shrugged, turned to Raven, and held out her hand. In the center of her palm was a blood-red ruby with a black raven inscribed in it. Raven's hand flew to her cloak. The gem that acted as her cloak pin was missing. Raven narrowed her eyes as she carefully took the gem back and fit it into place. This woman was fast and stealthy- too much so for Raven to feel comfortable around.

"Sorry," Catwoman said. To her surprise, Raven could detect genuine, albeit minimal, remorse coming from her. "Hold habits die hard." Catwoman turned back to Robin. "I hope we can do this again someday." She darted to peck Robin's lips, fast as a striking rattlesnake, and slipped through the doorway. When Robin ad Raven stepped into the hallway all they could see was a shadowy figure climbing down the side of the tower, nearly invisible in the night.

Raven turned, and Robin stared her in the eye. Robin's mind was nearly completely blank, the only thought or emotion that could be said to be truly present was confusion. _Wha…?_ was the one half-way coherent thing that circled through his mind. After a moment he shook his head and focused on Raven. She closed her mind to him and turned to rush down the hall. All she could see was his stupid expression when Catwoman kissed him. A fraction of a second, a graze of the skin, and she had caught him. Raven felt tears of shame push their way through as she ran to her room, ignoring Robin's pleas to wait. She dropped on the bed and wept. Rocks shattered outside. Eventually emotional exhaustion, such as Raven had never known, drove her to sleep.

That night she had the worst nightmare to date. 

A young woman drifted down the halls of a stone prison, moonlight casting barred shadows on her pale blue skin and clothes. Behind her a guard lay unmoving on the floor, blood trickling from his skull. She paused in front of a set of double doors barred with enough locks and mechanisms to delay the most talented of locksmiths for hours. The woman's hand morphed into a thin spear blade of ice, which she used to slice through each individual lock and bar.

A cold circle of metal was pressed against the back of the woman's skull. She whirled and sprayed a stream of ice over the guard before he could speak or shoot, encasing him in a floor-to-ceiling pillar of frozen water. She turned back to the door, distaste written all over her cruel, thin-lipped face. She pushed open the doors, entering the section of the Arkham asylum set aside for those criminals who required special living conditions.

The woman stopped before the only cell sealed off by a solid steal door instead of bars. She slipped a key card from one of the guards she had encountered into the slot and pushed the door open. The room was a standard prison cell: metal bunk bed, sink, toilet. The only remarkable thing about it was the three feet of snow that filled the cell. The lone prisoner started out of sleep as the door creaked open. He turned tired eyes onto the young woman.

"My name is Killer Frost," the young woman sneered. "Vandal Savage sent me to bust your ass out of here." The man, whose his skin was nearly identical in color to hers, stood, brushing off his orange jumpsuit.

"While the attempt is appreciated, the effort is wasted." The man spoke blandly, his voice void of emotion. "I cannot leave this cell and survive in such warm conditions." The air outside his cell window was perhaps five degrees above freezing.

"Don't worry," Killer Frost leered. "I'll keep you plenty cold until you get your fancy suit. And then you're going to do a favor for me and Vandal, got it?"

"It is a fair trade," he conceded, nodding. The pair had not taken five steps from the cell when a guard burst through the ruined double doors, pistol in each hand.

"Freeze!" he shouted. Killer Frost leapt at him, her hands changing into a pair of giant spiked maces of ice. She crushed his skull, and the guard crumpled.

"A crude but cold tactic," the prisoner noted, sounding as if nothing more unusual than a bird flying past a window had occurred. Killer Frost turned to him, eyes flashing snowy murder, and fired a beam of ice at his arm. The prisoner's right arm from wrist to elbow was coated in an inch thick cast. The man smiled very slightly. The ice cracked and fell away. Killer Frost took a step back, eyes wide. The prisoner grabbed her wrist in his left hand, and what little warmth her body contained was sucked out.

"Victor Fries was never bothered by the cold," the prisoner told her, smiling mirthlessly.

I know, I'm horrible for doing that to Raven. First, I want to point out that Robin didn't do anything wrong, Selena just ambushed him to make things awkward. But I promise, next chapter more than makes up for what happened here and in the last chapter. I hope to have that one up by tomorrow night as well. And happy Mardi Gras! As always: **Review!**


	10. Sleeping In Your Arms

Hey guys, quick announcement. **Sephiroth's Darkness** pointed out that Tony Zucco killed Dick Grayson's parents, not Two Face. But there is one very minor D.C. outgrowth branch I heard about in which Two Face killed his parents, and Two Face and his goons are about to kill Dick when he first meets Batman. Also, in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight comics, Two Face came up the nickname 'The Boy Hostage' for Dick because Two Face could easily frustrate and capture him. I decided to just roll with it because it was better for the story line. But I'm going to adhere to most of the standard D.C. back-stories for the rest of this. Now enjoy!

Slade stood before Raven, single eye narrowed. Raven gleaned traces of satisfaction and desire in his one eye as he tore the leotard from her body, magically branding the tattoos into her skin. She tried to cry out, tried to fight him, but Slade's skin was imbued with her father's power and absorbed her magic harmlessly. This time Slade dipped his head down to hers face. He removed the mask, and suddenly Raven was cowering before the immense face of her father.

She tried to summon the anger, the protective fury that had banished him before, but for the first time in her life no magic stirred in her veins. Her panic induced no explosion of dark energy, and Raven fell to her knees, grabbing her shoulders and trying to withhold a scream.

_The Ring of Azar guards the world from your powers_ her father rumbled. Raven saw the gold band encircling her finger, the red inscriptions glowing in the light of the flames that burned sixty feet tall around her. Raven's blood ran cold. No, the Ring of Azar was design to protect the wearer from Trigon's power. It shouldn't affect her, it couldn't. Raven blinked hard, and when she opened her eyes her legs and the brimstone beneath her were bathed in a crimson light that emanated from her eyes. Raven clawed at all four eyes on her face, screaming as the markings burned her skin. _Like father, like daughter_ Trigon chuckled, his voice worse than a thousand rusty knives dragged across jagged rock.

The dream shifted, and Raven saw Beast Boy's scowling face. _'You never want to do anything fun, Raven. You just sit around reading your dumb books, and whenever anyone tries to be nice, you turn on them. Do us all a favor: stop being such a creepy freak and get out of here. You don't have any friends.'_ He told her. Each word was like a hot knife to the gut.

Beast Boy changed into Starfire, her green eyes glaring, accusation pouring from them like acid. _You cannot feel or have friends because you are too bossy and rude. You could not comfort me when I was hurt because you were more worried about sleep. You are not right for Robin. If you were a friend you would not be having these feelings for him. You are a __Clorbag Varblerneilk._ Raven tried to reach toward Starfire, but her trembling arm stopped when it was only half-extended.

Starfire dissolved into mist, and Cyborg stepped forward, eyes narrowed. _You took me away from Sarasim. She was counting me, the whole village was counting on me, and you took me away. I could have had the perfect life there, stronger and faster and smarter than everyone else .You could have sent me back to visit. You could have at least let me say goodbye. Now all I have is a picture from your dumb old book._ Raven wanted to scream that she was sorry, that she hadn't known, but she couldn't find her voice.

Cyborg vanished. Raven's mother Arella stood in his place, her frown reeking of disapproval. _You were always flawed, a cursed child. But you did not just accept your fate- you accepted your father's rule like a meek, obedient servant, content to do whatever had been foretold. Had you fought him as your friends had, he would have been powerless when he came to earth, unable fight. You are no daughter of mine._ Raven blinked. Her mother, her only kin…

Her mother melted into the figure of another Azarathian woman. _Despicable child_, Azar scolded. _You were raised in Azarath. I taught you to use your powers for peace. All you have done is destroy. You have brought more pain and misery WITHOUT following your father's orders than every Azarathian in our history combined! You are a disgrace to my name and my tutelage. _It took all of Raven's remaining will power to restrain the tears. Not Azar. Azar who had mentored her, had protected her. No, nothing could be worse…

The figure changed once more.

No.

Robin stood with his back to her. He turned to look at her over his shoulder. The others had been angry and their image vivid but not like this. Robin's masked eyes shone with pain and grief like Raven had never seen in them. She could feel his lostness, his abandonment, his hurt through their bond, venomous blades twisting through her brain and into her heart. He was not angry. He was broken.

_Why?_ Robin choked. _We could have been good together. We share a bond. I let you in, confided in you. I went to Hell and back just for you even before this developed between us. Maybe it would have been hard, but we could have worked something out if you hadn't been so afraid of taking a chance. We could have worked. _Robin shook his head and turned away from her. Raven could feel his thoughts: he couldn't stand to look at her anymore. _If you want to be alone so badly, fine. I'll leave. That's what you wanted, isn't it? Complete peace to control your powers so that you don't destroy the world __again__?_ Robin did not vanish. He slowly, meticulously, intentionally walked away from her. And Raven knew with the absolute certainty of a prophecy that he would not come back.

Raven tried to scream, call out to him, beg him not to leave, but her voice caught in her throat and she fell mute. She tried to run to him but stumbled and fell to her knees. Raven desperately tried to get up, run after Robin, do something, anything at all, but she could not move or speak.

Robin left her.

…

no…

"So good to see you again, _sweet Raven_," a disturbingly familiar voice purred. Raven turned to see Malchior flying in place behind her, eyes narrowed in cruel pleasure.

"You," she sobbed. "How…how did you get here?" Raven hadn't realized that she was crying before, but now a disgusting flood of tears washed down her cheeks. Malchior chuckles echoed through her dreams in the same voice that had charmed her so effortlessly and made Raven into a tool for Malchior's personal gain, like she was a harlot…

"Awww, did you really expect to banish me completely from your world simply by sending me to another dimension? I will return to your dimension in good time, but your dreams are another matter. You left yourself open to my mentoring, and now your weakness has left your mind open. As long as you remain a weak, sniveling little girl, I can probe your dreams all I like. And I must say, I like what I see a lot."

"Get out," Raven whimpered. She hated herself for sounding so weak- no, she hated herself for being so weak.

"Ahahaha. In your state of mind you couldn't force Beast Boy out. Really, Raven, even I never thought your were this pathetic, allowing mere imaginations to crush you." Raven leapt up, a feverish hope building in her chest.

"It's just my imagination? None of it is real?" she implored, desperate. Malchior gave her a dragon's smile.

"Well, I wouldn't say _that_." Raven awoke with his laughter ringing in her ears. She stared at her door, where wayward dream emotions had etched the Mark of Scath. Raven felt her face. It was dry, free of tears. But dry sobs racked her throat, uncontrollable and painful. She hugged her arms to her shoulders, more alone and emptier than she could remember.

Frantic pounding shook her door. Raven started and a bolt of black energy shot from her body, striking the lock by chance. Robin rushed into her room, eyes wide.

"I could feel you," he gasped. Raven stared in silence, too distraught and befuddled to respond. "I could feel your thoughts," Robin continued. "In my mind. You were in pain." He looked around her room, where her Nevermore mirror and a handful of books lay in the glittering piles of dust that used to be her possessions. "Raven, what happened here?" Robin took a step toward her, and black energy shot from Raven's body against her will, blasting him back to the doorway.

Raven clutched the sheets to her chin, horrified. Robin stood slowly, massaging his chest with one hand. Raven tried to let him know it was an accident with her eyes, but she couldn't tell if he understood or not.

"I…I guess you want to be alone," Robin said, voice heavier than usual. Raven could feel depression through their bond, not as intense as it had been in her dream, but enough to frighten her. Robin began to walk out the door, head bowed.

"Wait," Raven gasped, suddenly able to speak. Robin turned to look at her, surprised. "Don't leave," Raven whispered. The sound was feeble in her ears, but it was all she could manage. "Please don't leave me, Robin." Robin crossed the room to sit on the side of her bed.

"I will never leave you, Raven." He promised. Raven could no longer restrain the tears. She lunged, tackling Robin's torso and wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face into his collarbone and shoulder and cried, quiet, torrential, miserable tears. Robin wrapped his arms around her back and held her close, his hands gentle but firm. He tucked her head into the hollow under his chin, and for once Raven didn't give a damn that she was being absolutely useless and pathetic. He was here, and this Robin was unbreakable, not physically, but emotionally. He would always keep fighting, regardless of the consequences. She clung to that strength and compassion like it was her lifeline. Perhaps it was.

She could feel vast quantities of magic stream from her body, but Raven neither knew nor cared where they were going.

She tried to tell Robin about her dream through the sobs, but the only coherent words she was able to form were Slade, Trigon, Malchior, and please don't leave. After Raven had cried herself out she kept her face buried in Robin's shirt for another two seconds. She could justify holding on to him no longer. When she pulled back, Raven saw a tendril of magic snake its way into his chest. Horror rose like bile as she realized where the ungodly amount of deadly energy had gone. Raven frantically shut off her magic.

"We have to get my magic out of you," Raven told him, her voice still to rough and broken to be acceptable.

"It's ok," Robin assured her. He held out his hand, and after a moment black energy coiled from his hand and into the dust, rebuilding her room, erasing the Mark of Scath, and siphoning the energy from Robin's body until none remained. It took Robin minutes what Raven could have done in seconds (in her right mind), but Raven was amazed at his control. Robin smiled at her.

"I learned a lot during the Trigon battle," he murmured. "And look, you helped me out all by yourself." He pressed her hand hard against the spot where she had hit him. Raven could tell that there was no bruise. The injury had healed. His hand lingered on hers. Robin blushed; Raven could feel his awkwardness.

"I'll leave you to go to sleep now," he muttered. Robin started to get up, and Raven instinctively tightened her hold on his hand, keeping him on the bed. Robin raised an eyebrow, and Raven took a deep breath, forcing herself to let go of his hand. She couldn't be like Starfire. Robin needed to make his own choices for himself without her meddling.

"Sorry," she muttered. Robin stood but didn't leave.

"Raven," he asked. "Is there something I can do?"

"I-" Raven choked for a moment. Then she shook her head, continuing in the best monotone she could manage. "I'm not going to tell you to do anything, Robin. You can do what you want."

"What I want is to help you," Robin murmured. "But I don't know how. Do you need me to leave, or…" Raven was shaking her head no before he finished.

"Don't go," she whispered. Raven grabbed his hand again. "Don't go. Stay, but stay only if you want to, not because you think you have to." Robin brushed a few strands of hair behind her ears, fingers lingering over the curve of her ear.

"I will never, never leave you, Raven." He murmured. "I am always here for you." He sat up straight on the bed, holding her hand out to her so that she could lie down and sleep while he sat. But Raven tugged on his hand as she slowly lay down. A tiny whimper crept from her throat. If she had heard herself make it any other time Raven would have beat herself silly, but now she didn't have the strength to care.

Robin's eyes flew wide. Dark circles still adorned his eyes around the mask's edges. Raven though he was going to get up and leave, but Robin unbuckled his cloak and neatly folded it one handed before laying it on the floor. He slipped out of his steel-toed boots and allowed Raven to pull him under the cool sheets with her. Raven still had her leotard on, and she pressed herself against Robin, feeling the bone and hard muscles of his chest as he breathed. His long arms encircled her back, and Raven wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his neck, and Robin tucked his head securely over hers once more.

Raven pushed herself against Robin as hard as she could, entangling their legs and curling against his bony frame. Robin was nothing but sharp, jabbing bones covered in lean, stony muscle, but somehow Raven couldn't imagine a more comfortable pillow. Robin rubbed one hand in small, slow circles on her back, and Raven took immense comfort in the gesture. He pressed his lips against the crown of her head, not quite kissing her but not removing his lips either. Raven moaned quietly, not from desire, but from relief, pent up anguish slowing easing out of her body. His hand stilled at her back. Robin pulled her a touch closer and adjusted his lips on her head. His hand went to brushing down her hair in slow, soothing strokes.

As Raven melted into his touch, her hands repositioning to clutch his shoulder blades, she began to slowly drift out of consciousness, finally giving into the crushing, taxing exhaustion. The small voice of Passion whispered in her ear. _This is all that I sought. Will you fight to prevent it?_

Raven slept without dreams for the first time in more than three months.

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Raven awoke curled tightly against Robin. Her first instinct led her to burrow her face even deeper into his shoulder. She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of his heartbeat, the steady breathing, and faint snores that emanated from him. Then Raven began thinking logically. She should move now before her powers got out of hand and leveled her room. And if someone came in and saw them, it would lead to no end of trouble. What time was it anyway? Raven had awoken for the first time in the middle of the night, but what time was it now?

She wriggled over so that her back was against Robin and she could face the window. Instantly she felt even better. This was how she usually slept, curled on her side facing the window. The curtains were drawn. It could have been four a.m or nine a.m. Raven carefully stretched to look at the old fashioned clock on her nightstand.

Ten a.m. Damn.

Raven heard a faint mumbling, and the arms around her abdomen tightened their hold. She glanced over her shoulder to see Robin yawn. He smiled blearily, his masked eyes narrowed in contentment and spiky hair splayed all over the pillow. Raven couldn't help but smile.

"Good morning," he mumbled.

"Morning," she replied, uncertain what to do now. Was she supposed to stay, go about her normal business, make breakfast? Well, ok, if he ate her cooking he would be dead before he went to bed next, but still…

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Ten in the morning," she said, hoping that it wasn't ten p.m. of the next night. "So…" Raven shifted, reluctant to break the comfortable atmosphere. "Should we, um, get up?" Robin yawned again.

"I don't know. Do you want to stay here a little longer or go see Beast Boy and Cyborg finish breakfast?" In response Raven flipped onto her side so that Robin was spooning her and tugged his arm tighter around her. Robin chuckled.

"You like this position, don't you?" Raven didn't say anything, but she wriggled back so that her butt ground into Robin a little. Raven had meant just to ease herself closer to Robin, but she could feel something against her cheeks that had been much, much smaller before she touched it. Embarrassed, Raven turned to glare over her shoulder at Robin, daring him to comment. The masked eyes crinkled in amusement, but his only other response was to tighten the arm around her and press his torso against her back, keeping his hips still.

Satisfied, Raven wedged her back against him, careful not to press any harder with any part of her body below the waist but not moving it farther away either. She noticed that his arm was only a quarter of an inch beneath her breasts. Raven dismissed the trail her thoughts were taking. She was happy and content with this peace they had now, and anything…more seemed risky and unnecessary, like it put this simple joy between them in jeopardy.

She searched their bond for any sign that he wanted something a little…more, but Robin was just as content and peaceful as she was. He nuzzled his face into her hair, his cheek resting on her own. He took a deep, slow breath and sighed. She could feel him getting drowsy, and suddenly Raven knew that he liked this position as much as she did.

_Just five more minutes_, Raven told herself as she relaxed into Robin's warmth.

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A pair of eyes gleamed on the surface of the water, watching the old man. He had attacked the elderly hobo just thirty minutes ago. Now he was waiting for her. With the big bat out of the picture, she had to arrive.

His pets cruised beneath the surface with him, swimming in place. Screw the alligators he used to kill in that freakshow; these were monsters. But they were nothing compared to him.

He didn't see the point of it all, setting up a huge bounty just to hire someone else under the table, but he wasn't complaining. He was finally getting respect, and the bonus cash was substantial.

He saw her, a flicker of movement. He drifted toward the edge of the pier, slow as the earth rotating beneath him and just as steady. The wraith-like woman paused, only her silhouette visible against the brick in the predawn gloom. He studied the shape of her body with longing. Under any other circumstances, he would have postponed killing her to have a little entertainment, but this was no normal woman. He had felt the power in her punch before. And he had the bounty money to think of. And his employer. When he recalled the twisted smile and painted face, he could barely resist the urge to shudder. No, this was too important to mess up.

He slunk ever closer. The girl stopped next to the hobo. The old man had passed out about ten minutes previously. The girl began stretching gauze over the wound when she froze. A delicate, black-gloved finger traced the wound. He lunged for her, exploding out of the water and grasping her calf in his jaws. Teeth pierced flesh and crunched through bone satisfyingly.

But the girl had turned at the same time, and a black blade slashed a jagged wound in his forehead. He released his hold on the prey for only a fraction of a second, but it was enough for her to escape. No! She could not get away.

He hauled himself out of the water, stepping on the hobo's neck as he did so and snapping the spine. The head nearly rolled off the body. The girl gasped, and he struck in her moment of distraction. His blunt claws tore through the grey fabric and into the skin and flesh, leaving five long slashes in her side. She hopped back, her ruined leg tucked tight against her body, face screwed tight with pain under the mask, russet/brown hair waving in a solid curtain.

She hurled a cluster of small, grey balls into his face. The balls burst with a flash of light and issued copious amounts of smoke, temporarily blinding him. He rubbed his eyes furiously and stumbled forward, water welling up beneath the third eyelid. By the time he could see she was gone without a trace.

Damn it! He turned in a circle, searching for any clue that might help him find her. He could find nothing. The distant wail of police sirens grew louder with every heartbeat. He growled. They couldn't see him. That was vital. He slipped back into the water and swam down into the murk, his pets following, giant and deadly.

I know Raven isn't a damsel in distress, if she was I wouldn't be writing this. But when Malchior hurt her she did basically the same thing to Beast Boy (except they were standing up and not in bed), so it's not totally unrealistic. And remember this takes place after all the previous crap. And Raven would never force Robin to stay if he didn't want to, that's what makes her better than Star: she's willing to suffer so that others can keep their freedom. Hope you all like it, next chapter comes out tomorrow, and, as always…Review! (Seriously, thank you everyone who reviewed, I really, really, appreciate it)


	11. Leaving

Hey everyone, I started writing all this out really, really late at night, so I'm going to proofread and correct it in the morning. That doesn't mean anyone can be a lazy non-reader. It also doesn't mean you shouldn't review!

Raven drifted into the main room, where Beast Boy and Cyborg were in fact finishing breakfast. Bumble Bee and Jinx were checking something on the flat panel display monitors on the left side of the room. Kid Flash and Starfire were playing some video game that neither of them was particularly good at. Raven made her way into the kitchen and began preparing her pot of tea for breakfast.

"Yo Raven, why are you up so late?" Beast Boy called. "Usually you're up before everyone else." Raven delayed answering until her tea was set to boil on the stove.

"I had something in my room that demanded my attention," Raven replied, her voice a perfect monotone once more.

"Well do you know where Robin is?" Cyborg asked. "He's always up at sunrise, but no one's seen him all day."

"I don't know where Robin is," Raven said. Raven's powers made lying very difficult, if not impossible. But Raven was so used to telling her friends what she thought of as 'remedial answers' that she felt no guilt accompany these responses. She really didn't know where Robin was. After they left her room, Robin had told her to go on ahead of him because he had something to take care of.

Raven had just finished her morning tea and set the empty mug in the sink when Robin walked in, cape fluttering behind him and expression back to its usual faint scowl.

"Dude, where were you? You missed breakfast," Beast Boy informed him. Cyborg stood up, stretched and strode over to his chef's hat.

"Sit your butt down. I'll make you some eggs to celebrate you finally sleeping in." The half-robot answered.

"Thanks, but I'll stick with a cup of coffee." Robin told him as he walked over to the coffee maker.

"But, you never turn down my scrambled eggs," Cyborg's eyes were wide with a mixture of bewilderment and indignation.

"Believe me, I'm not happy to do it," Robin yawned. He turned to face Cyborg before continuing. "But I have a consolation prize for you. I have to leave for a few days, and you're in charge of the Titans until I get back."

The effect these words had was immediate. Beast Boy fumbled his plate of tofu eggs. Kid Flash paused the game and looked over at Robin as if the latter had started singing in Russian. Starfire hovered several feet above the couch and gapped. Bumble Bee had frozen in mid speech, her mouth still forming an _o_. Jinx frowned at Robin like she didn't understand what he was saying. Raven stood blankly for a few seconds until the words clicked into her brain. The handle of her tea mug was still in her hand, but the rest of the mug was in pieces on the floor. "Say what now?" Cyborg asked. Robin took a sip of his cheap coffee before he gestured at Cyborg with the mug.

"You're in charge while I'm gone." Robin looked around at the room of silent gawkers. "Why? Do any of you have a problem with that?"

"No, but maybe you could tell us where you're going first?" Cyborg said. "Is this another one of your soul searching quests like the one to find the True Master?"

"I'm just going to Gotham for a few days," Robin replied. He took another sip of his coffee and made a face. "We really need to get better coffee."

"Forget about the coffee for a minute," Bumble Bee snapped. "And tell us why you're going to Gotham anyway."

"Yeah, are you going to see Batman?" Beast Boy asked, jumping up. "Can we come too? Can we ride in the Batmobile? Can you introduce us to Batman? Can-"

"I'm not going to see Batman," Robin interrupted.

"What does Robin have to do with Batman anyway?" Jinx asked.

"Dude! Didn't you know that Robin used to be Batman's protégé? Where have you been-"

"Thank you, Beast Boy," Robin drowned out the green shape shifter's tirade. "Anyway, I'm not going to see Batman: I'm going to check on an old friend there who might be in danger."

"Who is it?" Jinx asked.

"Yeah, man, you never talk about your time in Gotham. I thought you didn't have anyone to go back to." Cyborg said. Robin's scowl deepened a little.

"I don't have anything to go back to," Robin asserted.

"Then why do you have to leave to see this guy? Why can't you leave it to Batman?" Beast Boy asked. Robin narrowed his eyes.

"Do any of you remember what Two Face said about the bounty: 'soon there will be two less bats in the world.' Counting me, there were three bat-heroes in Gotham City. Batman is the other one." Robin paused, waiting for the meaning of those words to sink in.

"So, this friend you're going to see," Raven began. "You used to fight crime with him?" Robin nodded.

"Robin, I do not wish to bear bad news, but are you certain that this friend has not already been found by those less nice than us?" Starfire asked quietly. Robin drained the rest of his coffee in one gulp and slammed the cup into the sink.

"No," he said. "In fact we haven't spoken since I left for Jump City." The room was silent for a total of four seconds.

"Look, Robin, are you sure this is a good idea?" Cyborg asked, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I mean…why now? You left so long ago and you never tried to visit before so why do this now." Robin tried to speak, but Cyborg cut him off. "We're worried about you, man." Robin glared at his friends.

"I have to," Raven remained quiet while everyone else in the room groaned _here we go again_. Well, everyone except one.

"You're not going to tell them, are you." Kid Flash said. It was a statement, not a question. Robin turned on him.

"Now really isn't a good time to talk about this," Robin snapped.

"What will you not tell us, Robin?" Starfire asked.

"Just tell them part of it," Kid Flash proposed.

"Part of what?" Bumble Bee asked.

"Not now," Robin growled.

"What're you hiding from us dude?" Beast Boy asked.

"Why don't you let Kid Flash tell you himself?" Robin countered.

"That's a good question. Why won't you just tell me yourself?" Jinx asked her boyfriend.

"Ummm…" Kid Flash stood still. Jinx put her hands on her hips.

"Does it matter?"

Everyone turned to Raven with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. She met their eyes with her own deadpan, but her powers were starting to itch under her skin.

"Robin said he has to go. He promised he'd come back. He's our friend. What more do we need to know?" Raven intoned. The others shifted and looked away. Raven chanced a glance at Robin out of the corner of her eye. The Boy Wonder was smiling at her in that way he had last night and this morning, a small, secret smile just for her. It was gone in a moment, but Raven could feel the affection and gratitude behind the smile linger. Raven turned toward the sink and pulled her hood up so that no one could see her blush.

But when Robin left to pack, Raven couldn't help remember what he had said last night: I will never, never leave you. Raven trusted Robin, she really did, but somewhere in Nevermore, Timid was whispering every possible half-formed what if. Raven left the main room, determined not to pressure Robin or push the issue of why.

"Thanks for sticking up for me back there." Raven yelped and sank into the floor. She dropped to the hallway below and stood, a blush creeping into her pale gray skin when she realized who it was. Raven rose through the floor, trying to maintain her deadpan as she faced Robin. Robin wasn't laughing, but he certainly seemed to be more cheerful than he had been before.

"Would you mind helping me pack?" Robin asked. "I could use an extra pair of hands." Raven could feel the excuse through their bond, but she decided to play along. She nodded and followed Robin into his room. He set out an extra clean uniform, a spare utility belt, and his red backpack on the bed. Raven stopped just inside the door.

"Could you get the door?" Robin asked her. "I don't want Silkie or B.B. getting in here while I'm packing." Another cover. Raven closed the door and locked it as an afterthought. She glided across the room to sit on the corner of the bed. Robin knealt next to the bed, busy laying all his different weapons on the bed and organizing them to be packed. Raven remained silent, unsure how to begin.

"Thanks again for sticking up for me back there," Robin said. "You didn't have to do that." Raven shrugged.

"Maybe I did. No one seemed particularly keen to respect your privacy." He looked up at her, mouth curved up, eyes smiling. Raven felt the ghost of a smile appear on her own lips. Robin continued to look at her for a second before the smile evaporated and he stared at the bed. Raven resumed her deadpan and looked away. Good job, Raven, make this more uncomfortable.

"They're right, you know," Robin said suddenly. Raven turned back to him. "I should tell the people I care about exactly why I have to go."

"No, Robin. You have a right to your privacy. Some things are better left alone and untouched." Raven reminded him. Robin frowned. Raven could feel confusion and worry in his mind. Suddenly the confusion lifted, and Robin looked down, staring at a birdarang in his hand.

"So does that mean that you didn't like last night or that you don't want to do it again?" Robin asked. Raven could feel little jolts of sadness and disappointment zip from Robin to her through their bond. Raven realized what he meant and mentally punched herself in the face.

"No, last night was good. Fantastic. Last night was…perfect." Raven said, knowing with absolute certainty that her cheeks were glowing fiery. "And while we're talking about last night…Thanks for coming to see me. It, you, really helped a lot. And…I wouldn't say no to doing it again." Robin looked up at her, his smile morphing into a smirk. Raven reached out and lightly whacked the back of his head. "Next time don't jump to conclusions so quickly." Robin rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.

"Note taken." Robin went back to packing, but the atmosphere in the room was lighter.

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Raven asked. Robin judged his two bo staffs, weighing them in either hand before slipping both into his bag.

"I shouldn't need more than two or three days in Gotham, plus the ten hour ride there and back."

"So around three or four days," Raven supplied. A steel ball formed in her stomach. Raven chose to blame Passion. "What if Cyborg is right about your friend?" Raven asked. Robin stared at the grappling hook in his hands.

"A week," he said. "I'm giving my self a week in Gotham, tops. After that, I'm coming back." Raven probed their bond and detected the little needles of guilt.

"You don't have to come back so soon," Raven told him. "The team won't fall apart without you if you're gone for two weeks. It didn't when you left to see the True Master." Robin frowned, a pair of exploding disks in hand. He put the disks into his pack before closing it and slinging it over his shoulder.

"You heard Batman, Raven. Something strange is going on around here, and I don't like it. I don't feel comfortable leaving the team for long. Or you." Raven scrambled to control her powers and keep her façade.

"I'm not a weak little girl who needs saving, Robin." Raven told him. Robin laughed. Raven considered dropping the ceiling on him.

"Believe me, I know Raven," he said. "I think taking down an inter-dimensional demon gives you bragging rights." Raven looked down, surprisingly pleased with hid praise. But if she was honest with herself, Raven didn't like him leaving the City. Robin's tendency to rush off after every villain was a little out of control, and Gotham was his home city. What if he decided to stay there while Batman was gone? He had promised not to leave her last night, but maybe he just said that to calm her down.

Raven knew she could not voice any of these things. Star had pressured Robin to stay next to her constantly, and everything crashed and burned because of it. Raven was going to let Robin go to Gotham without pressure. She was going to let Robin make his own choices. And she was going to hope that he really wouldn't leave her.

A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she whirled around, her hair flying up into the shape of a raven.

"I'm coming right back," Robin said. "I'm not leaving you. I made a promise; I intend to keep it. And you don't have to be afraid of speaking your mind to me." Raven's eyes flew wide, and she stepped back. Outside a rock turned black and flew three hundred yards before crashing into the sea.

"How did you know?" She demanded. Robin shifted from foot to foot before tapping his head.

"I, uh, sorta heard you. In my head, I mean. I heard your voice, saying that maybe I won't come back and that you can't pressure me." Robin said. "You can trust me, you know." Raven could feel his disappointment like bitter sap clinging to his mind. Raven wanted to slap herself silly.

"I _do_ trust you," Raven insisted. She tried to pour her sincerity into those words, but her voice came out in its usual monotone. "I just…" Raven faltered, unsure what was really bothering her so much. She looked to the side of the room and saw a section of wall where an alluring woman had been not twelve hours before. Oh, right, that was it.

"I guess Catwoman really threw me off," she admitted. Robin nodded, his face serious.

"I know what you mean. What she said about Wonder Woman and Superman waiting for Batman…after we caught Cinderblock a few nights ago, he told me that the Justice League didn't like the Titans. Apparently the League blames me for everything the Titans do, and they blame Batman for everything I do. The whole thing just seems a little suspicious to me."

Raven set her jaw, determinedly halting the flood of emotion that threatened to rise up.

"Yeah, that's what it is." Raven had meant to retain her monotone, but she was unable to withhold the biting sarcastic edge. She turned to leave, but Robin grabbed her bicep. Raven turned to face him. Robin had his face held in a tight scowl, concentrating. His lips moved frantically, like he was trying to repeat an entire conversation in a few seconds. Suddenly his face cleared, and he looked up at Raven, sheepish.

"Oh, you were talking about…oh," Raven tried to leave again, but Robin leapt up, bounding around and in front of her with the agility of a kangaroo. "Raven, Catwoman is a flirt. She likes making people uncomfortable, and she was just messing with us when she did that. And she was the one who kissed me." He told her. Raven found his desperation to explain both annoying and endearing.

"I promise, you don't have to worry about her. I don't want something like that to make things worse between us." Robin's words touched something that made Passion jump up and down and made Raven wary.

"That's the second time you said _us_," she noted, choosing her words carefully. Robin opened his mouth, froze, closed it, opened it again, and closed it again. He looked a fish out of water.

"Um…" Robin seemed to have los the power of speech. Raven raised an eyebrow.

"So what are we, exactly?" She asked, crossing her arms. Robin opened and closed his mouth one last time before finally speaking. "I…don't know."

"Great." Raven said sarcastically before stepping around Robin.

"What do you want us to be?" The question made Raven jerk to a halt. Her stomach flopped over. She turned to face Robin, thankful for the cloak that hid her face and body from him.

"I…don't know." She admitted. Raven shook her head slowly, forcing back her rising frustration. "All I know is that I have to keep control, and I don't think a relationship would help me keep control." Robin looked about as happy with that Raven felt. He tried to speak, but Raven cut him off. "But I don't want you to leave me, Robin."

Robin took a cautious step forward, and Raven remained still. He took another step forward and slowly took her hand in his, like he was afraid she would run if he moved too quickly.

"I don't want to leave you either," he admitted, voice soft. "This whole thing is…confusing." Raven smirked a little. That was an understatement. "But I meant what I said last night." They stood, Robin's hand awkwardly grasping hers. In that moment Raven realized how strange she must look to Robin with her purple hair and eyes, her gray skin, and her ruby chakra.

"Why don't we think about what we want while I'm gone?" Robin suggested. "And when I get back we'll try and figure out what the hell is going on."

"Alright," Raven agreed. She was fairly certain Robin would want to keep being friends after he thought about it logically, but she was careful not to let that thought stray across their bond. Besides, the thought threw her emotions into turmoil. Outside another boulder shattered into fragments.

Robin shifted his feet a little before he walked toward the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob and walked back to Raven. He ran a hand through his hair, looked to the side, and looked back toward Raven. His nervousness was almost tangible.

"This probably isn't my best idea. It definitely won't help me think straight or drive safely, but…" Robin moistened his lips. Raven had a hard time looking back at his eyes. "I want to make sure you know that you don't have to worry about Catwoman."

Raven was about to tell him that she got it and he could just go when Robin darted down and pressed his lips to hers. His mouth hit hers with more force than before, but his lips were just as gentle. Raven's hands automatically locked onto his shoulders, fingers curling her short nails down onto the bone of his shoulder blade, whether to hold him close or push him away she wasn't sure.

Robin pulled back just as quickly as he had darted in. Both Titans were unnaturally breathless. Raven stared at him, mouth still parted. She closed it quickly, but her hands slithered off his shoulders slowly. Robin's hands had attached themselves to her hips, and his fingers brushed the top of her thigh as they slid away. Raven's mind matched Robin's exactly: perfectly blank.

Robin blinked stupidly and walked out the door, tripping over his feet as he left. Raven heard the faint roar of his motorcycle pulling out of the garage about forty seconds later. He must have jumped all five flights of stairs to get there so fast. Raven's lips were electric. She put up her hood and left Robin's room. She walked to the edge of the roof. Robin was already too far gone for her to see him. She flicked her tongue tip along her lips without thinking. His taste lingered, overlaid with the flavor of coffee.

They really needed to get better coffee.

Raven wondered what he felt when they kissed. Her brain had shut down so completely both times that she didn't know. Raven crossed her legs and levitated into the lotus position. She closed her eyes, facing the sun, and began to chant.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

Raven meditated for several hours, her mind and thoughts clear and emotion free for the first time in she couldn't even remember how long. When Raven finally stopped she judged it to be about six. Deciding that dinner with her friends wasn't the worst idea, she descended the stairs toward the main room, where she knew hungry teens would be gathering like a hyena pack to argue over what to eat.

As she rounded the corner of a hallway, the end of a black cape whisked out of sight. Raven froze. It couldn't be Robin, could it? Raven reached out toward the other hallway and encountered a very familiar mind, a mind she would instantly recognize anywhere. Raven walked quietly, following the presence, into a room she hadn't thought about in a long time. A figure was bent over a computer screen, typing something. His red, yellow, and green clothes were as obvious a traffic light. A black cape was skewed slightly to one side, like its wearer had been riding on a motorcycle for hours. Raven knew masked eyes stared at the monitor.

"What are doing?" Raven said, her voice carrying only a slight trace of annoyance. The figure screamed like a little girl and jumped, whirling around and cowering a little. Raven narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, uh, hey Raven, what's up?" Beast Boy grinned nervously.

"Do just wait for Robin to leave so that you can play with his things?" Raven asked.

"Well, hehehe," Beast Boy laughed, still uneasy. Raven scowled faintly. After a moment stood straight. Something about his demeanor changed, becoming a little more serious and curious.

"The old Red X suit is gone, right?" He asked. Raven frowned.

"Yes, Red X stole it. That's why he's called Red X." Raven said.

"But Robin took his belt after he helped us beat Professor Chang." Beast Boy pressed.

"Yeah, and Red X stole that too," Raven reminded him. Beast Boy nodded slowly.

"That's what I thought too."

"Beast Boy. You were there, remember?" Raven spoke slowly, wondering how dense her friend was.

"Then what's in there?" Beast Boy gestured over his shoulder to the immense vault behind the computer. Raven frowned.

"Nothing should be in there."

"Then why is it locked?" Beast Boy asked. Raven stared at him.

"Why would you be down here pulling on it anyway?" Beast Boy shuffled his feet for a moment and ducked his head. Raven knew he'd been snooping again.

"Well, three days ago when you were locked in your room, I was looking for Robin, and I saw him come out of here. I was curious so I went in and pulled on the door, but it wouldn't open. I tried unlocking it, but I couldn't get it to open."

"And you didn't ask Cyborg to help you open it or just ask Robin what was inside, why?" Raven asked. Beast Boy blinked as if neither thought had occurred to him. Raven sighed. "And you thought wearing Robin's clothes would help you unlock it, how?" Beast Boy brightened.

"Well, I figured it had some kind of fingerprint or eye scanner, so if I wore Robin's mask and gloves I could get in." Beast Boy put his fists on his hips and thrust out his chest proudly, Robin's too-big clothes baggy around him. It caused Raven physical pain to resist rolling her eyes, but she managed.

"Robin has real hands and eyes under the mask and gloves." She told him. Beast Boy put a hand behind his head and grinned sheepishly.

"Er, ehehe, well, I'm going down to dinner, see you later, Raven." Beast Boy ran off, a trail of embarrassment lingering in his wake. Raven shook her head. She hoped he would learn one day.

Raven didn't leave right away. She stared at the computer for a moment. She looked down the hallway. No one was there. She walked over and typed the Titan's generic opening code. No effect. She tried the code for classified or dangerous objects, like the kind on some of their trophies in the evidence room. Access denied. She typed in the override code Cyborg had taught her. Strike three.

Raven frowned. The only higher code was known only by Cyborg. Did Robin know it too? Maybe. Then again, the case containing his old circus costume had been locked with a code Robin made up himself. Would Cyborg know if Robin had put his own defenses on the lock? She wasn't sure. Raven teethed her lip. She raised her hands slowly and focused on the door. She spoke quietly, concentrating on being stealthy.

"Azarath Met-" Raven stopped in the middle of her mantra. The black energy that had just begun to emerge dissipated. Raven stared at the door, but she was thinking about Robin's disappointment when he thought she didn't trust him. Raven didn't want him to think that ever again. It wasn't true, and this vault didn't directly concern her. She would wait until Robin got back from Gotham to ask him about it.

Raven turned and strode from the room, pushing the vault to the back of her mind and mentally preparing herself for the tedious dinner debate.

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

A man watched the tiny red bike vroom down the crowded highway at speeds that would have been impossible for anyone of lesser skill. He waited until it was out of sight before lumbering through the trees back to where his temporary employer was waiting. He didn't like being anyone's underling, but so far this guy was ok. And they shared the same enemy. He was willing to work with his smarter, if weaker, companion if it meant taking down their common annoyance. He saw the black and white suit just a few seconds before he saw the glint of the coin flipped ten, twelve, fifteen feet into the air before it was snatched back. His employer turned revealing the damaged side of his face.

"Robin has gone." Two Face grinned.

"Good job, Grundy. Ha, maybe this little stakeout wasn't a waste of time. Ivy really pulled through for us on this one. Wonder how the poison beauty found out about the Bat?" The one time district attorney mused. Solomon Grundy chuckled boorishly.

"Now we go get your little friends out of jail?" He asked, speaking with the slow choppiness of a child. Two Face shook his head and flipped his trademark coin a good twenty feet, catching it without looking.

"Not until tonight. And remember, Grundy, we need to do this as quietly as possible."

"But if the kiddies catch us?" Grundy asked. Two Face flipped his coin. It sailed thirty feet straight up. He caught it easily and flipped it onto the back of his hand. Two Face stared at the coin for a moment before nodding to his thuggish companion. Grundy grinned.


	12. Old Friends

Sorry I'm updating so late, my father hid my computer. Thank you, everyone who's reviewing, you guys are so awesome! For those of you who have been asking for more painful Rae/Rob scenes, those are all planned out, don't worry. But Raven and Robin are survivors, and they tend to rebound pretty quickly. Don't forget to review, and enjoy!

Robin hadn't been here in years, but he drove through the sunset gloom effortlessly, his hands instinctively turning the bike in the direction it needed to go. For a moment Robin was afraid the boulder wouldn't move back to admit him, but it slid aside soundlessly. Robin parked his R-cycle in his old spot. Robin checked the line of display cases where the various suits were stored. He noticed the second case was empty and felt a twinge of guilt. The third case carried a slim gray suit with a yellow insignia. Good, she wasn't out in the city. Robin knew he had a few hours until she showed, if she showed at all. He had time to go say hello to Alfred.

But Robin paused for a moment to appreciate the majesty of the cave, both natural and Bat-made. But every stone had absorbed a thousand memories, some good, some painful. Robin shook his head and left the way he had come in. He was here for a mission; he couldn't afford to stroll down memory lane.

Robin could have just walked into the manor through the Batcave, but he didn't feel that he had that right anymore. However, he elected to scale the outer walls instead of calling in at the gate. Robin walked the path to the front door, the path still familiar under his feet. He knocked on the huge front doors. Logically he should have rung the doorbell, but he hadn't forgotten how annoying the doorbell was. The door swung open to admit him, and Robin smiled at the venerable old man before him.

"Master Richard!" Alfred cried. "Come in, come in! Please allow me to get your bags."

"It's ok, Alfred," Robin assured him. "This is all I have." He gestured to the backpack on his shoulder. Robin stepped inside and hugged Alfred, immensely glad to see him again. Alfred returned the hug after a moment of surprise.

If Bruce had been Robin's surrogate father, Alfred had been his surrogate grandfather. When Bruce got moody or overly obsessed Alfred was there to give Robin a hand or calm Bruce down a little. Bruce taught Robin about the world, how to save, how to be successful in it; Alfred taught Robin how to live in the world: every good manner he should show, how to play several musical instruments (none of which Robin would be able to play now), how to behave among the dignitaries, how to perform the most basic cleaning tasks. More than that, Alfred helped Robin with the issues he could never go to Bruce about, like school and friends (of which Robin had one).

Alfred insisted on walking with Robin to his room. Robin was surprised to see how well the elderly man managed the stairs.

"Here is your room, Master Richard, just as you left it."

"Thanks Alfred, and you don't have to call me 'Master'. I don't even live at Wayne Manor anymore." Robin said. Alfred huffed.

"You might live in a T-shaped monstrosity, but you will always have a place here at Wayne Manor, _Master_ Richard. You're a member of the family." Robin smiled and walked into his old room. It wasn't exactly as he had left it. The bed was made, and the candy wrappers had been picked up, but other than that it was the same. Robin had never felt much of a need to decorate, but the nick in the wall where he had mis-thrown a birdarang and the hole in the ceiling from his first bo staff were still there.

"Speaking of the family, Mistress Selina will be joining us for dinner." Robin whipped around to face Alfred.

"But-" Alfred sternly cut off Robin's protest.

"Miss Selina has done good work in the past few years, whatever her past. She and Master Bruce are quite happy together. If she is to be joining our little group, I ask that you make an effort to put the past behind you."

"I'm not mad about anything that she did years ago," Robin growled. "I'm mad about last night. Alfred sighed.

"Would this have anything to do with her visit to your tower?" The butler asked, his voice indicating that he was resigned to the fact that the woman his surrogate son had chosen was born to make mischief.

"Yes," Robin said curtly. Alfred pinched the bridge of his nose before pulling out a pocket watch.

"Please wait to confront her for whatever misbehavior that has wound you so until after dinner." Alfred pleaded. Robin nodded reluctantly for Alfred's sake. Alfred believed sternly in the sanctity of the dinner table. "Excellent. Now, if you would quickly change and wash up we will have dinner. I made your favorite." Robin gasped.

"Grilled cheese with those little bits of bacon in them?" Robin guessed, hoping feverishly he was right. Alfred smiled.

"With chocolate ganache cake and ice cream for desert." Robin grinned from ear to ear. "But you'll get none if you don't change and wash up." Alfred warned him, smiling as he closed the door. Robin hurriedly changed uniforms, though privately he didn't think the one he had been wearing was that dirty. He quickly washed his face and hands (although why he should bother since his hands would be gloved and his faced masked during dinner he had no idea).

Robin leapt the steps three at a time and emerged into the dinning room in about five minutes. The long table was set for two people, but Robin didn't see anyone. Robin quietly set a third place for Alfred. When he was finished no one had arrived yet. He decided to duck into the kitchen and see if Alfred needed help. When Robin entered the kitchen, the delicious smell of grilled cheese, bacon frying, and tomato soup filled his nose. The aromatic steam wafted from a small corner of the kitchen where Alfred was hard at work touching up the garnish for the salad and soup.

"Master Richard, what are you doing here?" Alfred asked as Robin approached.

"I came to see if you needed help with dinner?" Robin told him.

"Didn't I tell you to change and wash up before dinner?" The butler questioned.

"This is a fresh uniform," Robin protested.

"I meant change into regular clothes, Mast Richard, not swap one garish costume for an exact replica!" Alfred exclaimed.

"Oh, sorry." Robin apologized. "The thing is, since I moved to Jump City I've only been Robin. I don't have a secret identity anymore, so I just wear this everywhere I go." Alfred sighed.

"You honestly mean to tell me that you have no other clothes?"

"Not anymore," Robin answered, somewhat embarrassed by Alfred's incredulous disapproval. Fortunately, distraction from the situation arrived in the form of a black cat.

"Mrrow." The cat made a detour along the counter around Robin and the food to sit next to Alfred, where it put a paw on his hand. Alfred chuckled and handed the cat a few pieces of bacon.

"Miss Isis appears to be quite fond of the kitchen," Alfred informed Robin. Isis grabbed a silver saltshaker in her mouth and ran to stick it in the back of an open cupboard. "Though she seems to have picked up a few traits from her owner," Alfred added dryly. Robin smiled a little.

"I didn't know you were a cat person, Alfie."

"Bruce wasn't much of a cat person either, until he met me." Robin turned to face the speaker, a beautiful woman with lush black hair and dark eyes. She wore a light aquamarine sweater and simple tawny pants with a diamond necklace inlaid with rubies. Cat's eye gemstones hung from her ears.

"Selina," Robin greeted, trying to keep his voice neutral. Selina smiled like she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Are you upset about that little stunt I pulled last night?" Selina asked. "I didn't mean anything by that. I saw how uptight you were, and when your little girlfriend came in I couldn't resist poking a bit of fun." Selina frowned a little. "I hope I didn't cause any trouble."

"It's hard to tell," Robin said, trying and failing to maintain the neutrality in his voice. "But yeah, I'd say you did."

"Young man-" Alfred began.

"It's alright, Alfred." Selina interrupted, waving her hand in a dismissive gesture. "I teased the boy a little, and it went sour. Sometimes it happens." The one time cat burglar held out her hand to Robin. "Look, let's call a truce, ok? I don't want to start the evening off on the wrong foot. And I'm not exactly dressed up to seduce and trick you." She added in a lower tone when Robin did not take her outstretched hand at first.

Robin realized this was perhaps the first time he had seen her wearing clothes that didn't reveal her shapely curves. The thought of curves brought Raven to his mind, and Robin hoped that he wasn't blushing. He shook Selina's soft hand, and the woman smiled, not seductively as he had seen so many times before, but simply because she was pleased.

"Now let's see if Alfred's grilled cheese is as good as everything else he makes, shall we?" Selina suggested, picking up the salad bowl with one hand and Isis with the other before exiting to the dinning room.

"Sorry, Alfred," Robin muttered.

"It's quite alright, Master Richard. I daresay that went better than I had expected. I don't even need to fix a hole in the wall." The butler said. Robin smiled and walked with the old man into the dinning room. When Alfred saw the third place set, he frowned. "Are you expecting someone, Master Richard?"

"Just you," Robin assured him. "Tonight you eat with us. After all, you're a part of the family too." Robin led Alfred to his seat. Alfred began to protest, but Selina cut him off.

"The boy is right, Alfred. You made this dinner, you should get to enjoy it with us." Robin watched her for signs of a hidden meaning, but he saw nothing dishonest or sneaky about her behavior.

In the end Alfred agreed to sit and eat with them as long as he was still allowed to serve all the courses and drinks. Robin enjoyed the meal even more than he had thought he would. He missed Alfred's cooking, and more importantly his company, more than he had thought. And Selina wasn't too bad. Robin still hadn't forgiven her for making a rift between him and Raven, but she was at least trying to be nice.

Even Isis made the meal more enjoyable. The clever cat would eat little bites of food off a saucer Selina set in the center of the table. When there were no tasty treats forthcoming, the cat would amuse the diners by leaping in the air to catch small insects.

Selina talked for a bit about Bruce's chances in the trial. It was nothing they didn't already know, and Robin got the feeling she was just talking to reassure herself that she wasn't forgetting anything that might help Bruce. Robin could relate. He had done the same when the team was trying to find information on the Mark of Scath.

Alfred discussed the current going-ons in Gotham, from the political scandals to the prospects of Wayne Enterprises to the unusual activity of certain villains. Alfred spoke for only a brief time before asking Robin about his life with the Titans in Jump City. Robin told Alfred about everything he hadn't mentioned before, though he kept in mind that Selina was listening.

After they scraped the last traces of ice cream from their bowls Alfred insisted on cleaning the dishes by himself. Selina stood and gestured for Robin to follow her. Selina led the way into the study, where she sat in one of the two over stuffed armchairs before the fireplace. The larger than life portrait of Bruce's parents caught Robin's eye for a minute. He wondered, as he so often had, how Bruce felt about seeing his dead parents every time he walked in through the doors. Robin didn't have any pictures of his family.

Selina gestured to the chair next to her. Robin narrowed his eyes and remained standing.

"You really are pissed about that little incident, aren't you?" Selina sighed.

"You're going out with Bruce, my adopted father, and you kissed me as soon as he was whisked off to an extraterrestrial jail cell," Robin growled. "Sorry if this isn't the response you expected."

"I expected you to be more confused and less hostile," Selina admitted. Isis leapt into her lap, and Selina scratched the cat's ears absent-mindedly.

"How do you live with yourself?" Robin asked. "Bruce didn't turn you into the cops, let you into his home, gave you another chance, showed you his secret identity- which I never thought he would do to anyone in a million years- and when he's the one behind bars you go out and flirt." Selina narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know as well as I do that what I did back there barely counts as a kiss. If Bruce had seen that he would have laughed. You know that too. So why don't we talk about the real reason you're being such an indignant ass." Selina tapped her chin with one long, thin finger. "How much grief did your scary girlfriend with the rubies give you?"

"Raven isn't my girlfriend," he snapped, bristling. Selina's eyes glittered just like Isis's in the firelight.

"Was that disappointment in your tone?" Selina asked, batting her eyelashes. "You're here to pick up Batgirl and bring her to your little band of teenage crime fighters before she takes a bullet to the head, right?" Robin nodded, resigning himself to the fact that this woman knew just as much about the situation as he did. "How did she react when you told her what you were doing?" Robin didn't respond. Selina laughed quietly, like a mountain lion's purr. "Oh, that will go down a _storm_ when you get home."

"Is there anything relevant you'd like to share?" Robin inquired.

"To our little situation with Bruce? Yes, actually, there is." Selina stroked Isis's soft coat as she spoke. "Bruce will be making regular telephone calls to Alfred. The Justice League allowed for that the last time they put him on trial. Alfred will pass on any messages to me, and I to you. I have a little safe house in Jump City where my babies will stay. Isis will remain here at the Manor. Other than that, there's nothing left to tell." Robin nodded curtly.

"Thank you." Robin turned sharply and strode from the room.

"Oh, and Robin?" Robin looked over his shoulder on the threshold of the study. Selina smiled a puma's smile. "Good luck with your little friend."

Robin waited in the Bat Cave until four a.m., and Babs didn't show. He trudged back to his bedroom and fell asleep. After his usual four and a half hours of sleep, Robin awoke to the surreal experience of not having to plan out an itinerary or rush to take down the source of the red strobe lights and siren. Robin paused to enjoy the stillness for only a moment before he put on his cape and boots, grabbed his pack, and ran downstairs.

A plate of scrambled eggs and bacon was waiting for Robin in the dinning room, but Alfred was nowhere to be seen. Robin inhaled his breakfast before activating the secret door in the antique clock that led to the Batcave. Robin grabbed his bike and rode down the hill to the police station. Robin walked straight through the front doors, brushing aside the secretary and some intern to walk right into police commissioner Gordon's office.

"Heeeey! Robin! Well, I have to say, I never expected this." Gordon exclaimed, standing up and walking around his desk. Robin smirked.

"Where I work now I have to fight in the open, so I figured while I was in town I would make a visit." Robin told the commissioner as they shook hands for the first time.

"So, you think you can just burst in here and chitchat about the weather just 'cause you left Gotham to be a West Coast big shot?" Accused a fat man with a stained shirt. His fingers were coated in donut powder and a chocolate bar was clutched in his fist.

"Oh shut up, Bulluck, and leave the kid alone. We were talking about the weather before he showed up anyway." Rebuked a female officer. She was the picture of police efficiency, her uniform crisp and weapons gleaming in their holsters. She smiled warmly at Robin, and Robin smiled back. "Welcome back, Robin."

"Good to see you again, officer Montoya." Robin replied.

"This all nice and well and all, but what're doing back in Gotham, punk?" detective Bullock asked, heaving his bulk out of the chair. Robin narrowed his eyes. Robin had never met anyone who liked Bullock for his personality.

"I came back on business, a favor for an old friend. But while I was here I thought it would be best to inform you that Two Face is working in Jump City." Robin said. Gordon frowned, and Montoya picked up a pad of legal paper to make notes. "I talked to Batman about a week ago. He thinks the Joker is behind Two Face's change of location. We have just enough evidence at hand to suspect that the Joker is planning something big, something involving Gotham and Jump City."

"So why aren't you staying here to catch the Joker, mista big shot?" Bullock accused. Robin scowled.

"I have my own city to protect, an a team that needs me. But since this concerns both our cities, I wanted to let you know. The Jump City police force is a joke compared to you guys." Robin said. Gordon ran a hand through his still thick white hair.

"Well, thanks for the heads up. It's a shame. My daughter was going to go to college in Jump City. I wasn't thrilled about her leaving Gotham, but I figured if you were in Jump City she'd be a little safer." Gordon sighed. "It's ironic, really. The one relief about my little girl going to college was that she was getting away from all the psychopaths in Gotham."

"There are plenty of psychopaths in Jump City. That's why I'm there." Robin told Gordon.

"And I'm guessing that you don't sleep until you've caught every one of them, don't you, _Boy Wonder_." The way the speaker said Boy Wonder left Robin in no doubt as to whom it was. He turned to see an attractive young woman standing behind him standing behind him, a file clutched to her chest. She smiled at him. "Nice to meet you, Robin. My name is Barbara Gordon."

Robin shook her hand, careful not to show any surprise or recognition. He had almost forgotten that he wasn't supposed to know who she was. Her well-known childhood friend Dick Grayson had vanished, disappeared from the face of the earth without a trace years ago. Robin wouldn't get to speak candidly with her in front of everyone else. He pulled out his communicator to check the time.

"I have to find my friend now," he told the commissioner. "But before I go could someone show me where the bathroom is?"

"It's this way," Barbara said instantly. She started to leave but turned back to hand the file to her father. "Here's the file on that murder downtown, dad." Gordon smiled.

"Nice work, Barbara." Barbara led Robin down the hall of the police station, twisting and turning seemingly at random. Robin noticed that she wasn't moving with her usual grace and balance. She stumbled in her high heels, her gait like that of any lazy teen in the mall, not the stride of someone who could leapt an eight foot gap between buildings ten stories up with ease. Something was wrong. Barbara stopped short in a stretch of hallway only six feet long. She turned and faced Robin, smiling coyly.

"What are you waiting for, a written invitation?" she asked, her tone teasing, just like it had been when Robin tripped over the edge of a rooftop and fell into a water tank. Robin shifted, not quite sure what she was talking about. After a moment he held out his hand, feeling more awkward than he had in days, which was really saying something. Barbara rolled her eyes violently and muttered, "Idiot."

She tackled him in a hug, her arms like twin pythons crushing his shoulders. Robin felt himself relax. Same old Barbara. He hugged her back for a moment then pushed her away, panic rising in his chest.

"Babs, they have security cameras," he growled. She rolled her eyes, stepped back and leaned against the wall. She smirked at him, clearly smug.

"Relax, Boy Wonder. This is the only place in the station without cameras. Now what was so urgent that you came all the way to Gotham and lied to my dad to see me, hmm?" Robin peeked around either corner, assuring himself that no one was around to hear.

"Bruce asked me to take you to Jump City when the League called him up for questioning." Robin admitted. Barbara's eyes flew wide and she stood straight.

"You and Bruce made up?" She asked. Robin nodded shortly. "That's great! I thought you two would go to your graves fighting." She beamed.

"I'm staying with the Titans, you know," Robin told her. "I'm not coming back to Gotham permanently." Robin wanted to make sure she knew exactly what was going on. Barbara pursed her lips.

"I knew that when you left all those years ago," she said. Robin looked to the side. He had only said goodbye to Alfred when he left Gotham. But Barbara had stopped him on his way out of the cave. The only thing she had said was be safe. She had pecked him on the cheek, and Robin had driven off.

Robin noticed that Barbara was keeping most of her weight on her right leg. He peered more closely and saw the faint shape of a bulky patch through her sweater.

"Who was it?" he asked bluntly, gesturing to her side and leg. Barbara glared at him for a second and sighed dramatically.

"Killer Croc." She muttered. Robin frowned.

"Bruce old me he disappeared weeks ago."  
"He did. Not a trace of him to be found. It was like he had vanished of the face of the earth. He showed up last night. He killed an old hobo- that was the case I handed my father- and got me too. It'll take months for it too heal." She complained, glaring at her left leg like it was a pet that had peed on her bed. Robin thought about Raven and smiled.

"You're in luck. Come to Jump City with me, and a friend of mine can completely heal you in seconds." Barbara scowled.

"I'm not a child, Dick." She growled. "I don't need you to come and save me. I can take care of myself."

"Not until your leg is fixed." Robin countered. "And the city is probably crawling with assassins out for your blood. How many times does someone nearly murder you per night. Six, seven-"

"Nine is closer," she corrected him. Robin shook his head. "I'm surprised Batman didn't lock you out of the cave."

"He did," she told him, a sparkled in her eye. "But an old friend taught me how to hack the computers once. It only took me four tries." Robin smirked.

"So will you come with me to Jump? We could really use your help. Two Face is down there now." Barbara smirked back at him.

"Course I'll come back," she told him. "Remember who cut you free every time Two Face caught your ass. Just let me tell my father that the study abroad program I didn't get into suddenly has an extra place and I need to leave tonight."

"A college turned you down?" he asked, surprised. She grinned evilly. "I was always better than you at lying, Boy Wonder." She punched him in the shoulder and walked away. Before Barbara entered the sight and hearing range of the cameras she turned to look at him over her shoulder. "I'll be waiting at the cave noon. We'll take the back routes to get to your city."

Robin counted to thirty after she had gone and called Cyborg. His teammate picked up on the third ring.

"Yo, man, what's up? We didn't think you were gonna call. Did you find your friend yet?"

"Cyborg, remember the bounty Two Face mentioned? It's worse than I thought. My friend is hurt worse than she's willing to let on. I'm bringing her to Jump City to stay with the Titans until it's safe for her to return to Gotham. Do we have a room for her?" Robin hoped Cyborg wouldn't ask too may questions.

"Yeah, we got room. Do you want me to tell the others?" Cyborg asked.

"Yes, and make sure they know she's going to be fighting with us. She's not coming as a refugee." Robin told him. Cyborg nodded.

"You coming home soon then?"

"I'll be home late tonight, hopefully." He said. Cyborg grinned.

"Well alright then! I'll tell Bumble Bee." The screen went dark. Robin smiled. Somehow he knew the leader of Titans East would distract his friend from the news.

No human was in sight as Robin and Batgirl rode down the abandoned back road, their packs weighed down with supplies and keepsakes from Wayne Manor and their ears still ringing with Alfred and Selina's farewells not five minutes earlier. The only living creatures to see them were the birds twittering in the branches…and the snaky vines wrapped around the trunks of the pine trees.

The vines waved their ends in the air for a moment after the bike had roared past before retreating through the forest like so many snakes. The vines crept along the ground to rise up and snake along the limbs of a scantily clad woman. The woman sat still against a fallen tree as the plants wound their way up her body. She closed her eyes as though listening to something though the forest was silent.

"Is that so…" She murmured, opening her eyes and smiling sweetly.

_No!_ He thought as he watched his quarry flit out of sight, riding on the back of the motorcycle away from the reservoir. He bared pointy teeth, seething. He had seen the young man driving the motorcycle, to whom his target clung on for dear life as it roared down the impossibly narrow edge at ninety miles per hour. He hadn't seen that one in years, but there was no mistaking the uniform. He floated in the water recalling the last time they fought. His head ached, remembering the crack of two bo staffs. The young man had been a boy then, and much smaller too.

He growled. He wasn't going to lose his quarry or his bonus reward so easily. It would take him awhile, but he knew where they were going. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to figure it out. His pets came at his summons, and all three began the long swim, the middle figure's vaguely humanoid body keeping pace with the other two's long, sinuous shapes as they glided through the water.

Next chapter comes out today or tonight. For everyone who's reviewing, thanks again. I'm going to try to thank everyone who writes a nice long review personally to show just how much I appreciate it. Please give me your thoughts.


	13. Biting the Bullet

A quick shout out to **Xaphrin**, **AryaTindomiel**, and everyone else who has been reviewing: you guys are awesome! I know I promised to get this out a lot sooner but the SAT and exams snuck up on me . This will probably be the last update until Friday.

Robin killed the engine. The echoing roar faded in the cavernous garage. Batgirl was slumped against his back, her chest crushing his spine, still clutching him for dear life. She kept her hold for a moment after the sound of the R-cycle faded away. Batgirl swung her leg over the side and hunched onto her hands and knees.

"I didn't think it was possible, but you became an even more reckless driver than you were before." She heaved. Batgirl panted a little more while Robin double-checked that the R-cycle was properly secured. "Seriously, did we ever go less than eighty-five miles per hour?"

"Well yeah, of course we did. You remember, we got boxed in by traffic, and we stopped that one time."

"Dick, you didn't slow down when we were boxed in, you drove over the top of a car and along the railing of a suspension bridge. And we stopped because I told you I had to throw up after you hit a speed bump." Batgirl reminded him.

"I still think you tried to puke on me back there," Robin accused. Batgirl narrowed her eyes murderously.

"If I'd wanted you covered in puke, you'd be covered in puke by now," she growled, but there was a strange tiredness about her. Robin studied her and noticed that she was keeping her left leg held higher than her right. The leg trembled slightly, as if the strain of keeping it off the ground was too much. Robin turned back to the controls of his motorcycle, pretending to check something. He watched Barbara out of the corner of his eye. When she thought he wasn't looking Barbara held a hand to her side and grimaced silently. The second he looked directly at her she stopped. Robin hauled her up by her arm and supported her left side.

"Nice try," Robin said. Batgirl glared at him.

"Now I remember why your name is Dick." Robin chuckled. He started to lead her toward the medical ward but stopped at the door.

"These people don't know my name used to be Dick. I'd rather keep it that way." Barbara frowned at him.

"If they're your friends, why not tell them?" she asked. Robin frowned.

"Dick Grayson doesn't exist anymore," Robin said, looking away. "He disappeared the night the Titans formed." He glanced back at Batgirl. She was staring at him strangely.

"I don't think Dick Grayson is as far gone as you would like to believe," told him.

"No one's seen him in years. There's only Robin now."

"Doesn't mean you're not still a Dick," she told him. Robin smirked. Batgirl smiled, then looked over his shoulder and frowned. "Dick, Robin, whoever you are, why is there a cow in your garage. Robin looked over his shoulder to see a life-sized mechanical cow.

"Oh, yeah, that's the Cycow. We needed that as a disguise when these aliens were stealing cows…long story. I'll tell it to you another time." Batgirl sighed and shook her head. Robin led her up the stairs and into the hall next to the main room. Cyborg walked out of the double doors ahead of them, licking the last of a midnight snack off his fingers.

"Yo, Robin, how was Gotham?" Cyborg's grin switched to surprise and confusion when he saw Batgirl. "I though you were bringing back an old friend, not an old girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend, Cyborg, she's hurt; we talked about this." Robin snapped.

"The vicious tone really is flattering, Robin," Batgirl snarked, poison dripping off every word. Cyborg flipped on the light in his shoulder. By Cyborg's expression, Robin knew he was blushing.

"Where's Raven?" Robin asked, determined not to admit his embarrassment.

"Last I saw her she was heading to bed," Cyborg answered. "You really want to wake her?"

"No." Robin's answer was immediate, though he wondered if she might want to be woken up if she was having nightmares. "We can bring her to the medical ward for now. I'll ask Raven to heal her in the morning." Robin felt a stab of disappointment that he wasn't going to see Raven until morning, but he knew she needed all the sleep she could get.

"Where're you hurt, girl?" Cyborg asked. Batgirl narrowed her eyes at being addressed as girl but chose not to respond. That scared Robin a little.

"Left leg and right side," she replied. "But I don't-Hey!" Cyborg scooped her up in his arms like she weighed no more than a kitten and started walking toward the medical ward.

"Sorry, but I'll go a lot faster than half-pint over there," Cyborg said. Robin followed at a distance, reluctant to face Cyborg's inevitable slew of questions, especially with Batgirl around. Robin stumbled over a shoe someone (Beast Boy) left in the hallway.

"I don't think I've ever seen you trip before," said a quiet voice. Robin leapt as Raven emerged from the gloom. Her hood was up, and in the near complete shadows Robin could see nothing of her face except for the barest glint of her eyes. Somehow not being able to see her eyes was maddening.

"Was that girl Cyborg's carrying your friend from Gotham?" Raven's voice was flat, devoid of opinion.

"Yeah, Batgirl. We used to fight together back when I was with Batman." He said. Raven stayed still. Robin wasn't picking up much on their bond, but he got a vague sense that something was wrong with Raven. "I was hoping to see you before morning," he told her. He couldn't see if Raven moved but a faint cracking ensued from the opposite wall.

"You were?" Raven's voice was still flat, but their bond was beginning to tingle.

"Batgirl's hurt, and she needs healing as soon as possible," Robin said. The tingling changed to a throbbing. Robin made a note to slap himself later. "And I wanted to talk to you about…you know, what we said we were going to think about while I was gone."

Raven was silent, but Robin felt the throb change again into a rapid vibration that made his stomach churn, as if he wasn't nervous enough already. Raven fell into step alongside him as they walked to the medical ward. When Robin entered the room, he saw that Cyborg had just finished hooking Batgirl up to a heart monitor, IV pole, and a brain scanner.

"And remember, don't pull a Robin and try to bust out, or I'll have to treat you like a Robin and tie you down." Cyborg was warning Batgirl. "And if you don't believe me, check the cabinets- I have an entire drawer just for belts."

"He's not joking," Robin warned. Cyborg turned to look at them.

"Yo, Rae, I hope he didn't wake you up?"

"I was already up." Raven said tonelessly. She drifted to Batgirl's bedside. "Hold still." Raven went to work, her hands glowing black. Robin stood against the wall and watched the dark empath. The little sparks that he felt from their bond comforted him. His knowledge of Raven's thoughts and emotions had grown stronger after the nightmare incident, but while he was gone, Robin had felt only the occasional faint touch through their bond.

The weakening of their bond worried him. Robin had no clue how to control the bond, but he thought that Raven could shut him out when she wanted to and that his insights into her were drastically limited when she meditated. But he found it unlikely (though not impossible by any means) that she had been meditating since the moment he left. The idea that their bond was weakening or that she was intentionally shutting him out had left him nervous, to say the least.

After a minute or two, Raven finished working and stood up, her posture as perfect as ever.

"A few hours of peace and quiet, and you'll be fine." Raven said. She turned to Cyborg. "You can go back to your room. She won't need monitoring." Raven drifted through the doors without even looking at Robin. Robin felt like the air had been let out of him.

"Well, goodnight ya'll." Cyborg yawned and left.

"Your team is…interesting," Batgirl commented. Robin paused on his way out to look over his shoulder at her.

"They're dependable people," he said. "Night Babs." Robin walked down the hall, his feet automatically steering him to the main room. He was tired and a little let down, but his stomach was reminding him that he hadn't eaten for over ten hours and he had spent all that time driving a motorcycle. Robin walked into the main room and paused, deciding not to turn on the lights. The moonlight from the windows illuminated the room sufficiently without banishing the shadows.

"I saved you some pizza." A quiet voice mumbled. Robin peered closely and saw Raven standing awkwardly next to the coffee table, an open box on the table containing half a black olive and mushroom pizza. Robin was surprised that she remembered his favorite toppings.

"How's you manage to stop Cyborg from eating that?" Robin asked, walking up to her.

"Inter-dimensional portals help." Raven admitted. Robin smiled. Raven stared at the floor. "So, Batgirl-"

"Is an old friend," Robin interrupted hurriedly. He could tell this conversation couldn't end well, and he wanted to nip the problem in the bud. "We were close back when I worked with Bats, but that was a long time ago, before I left her and Batman to come to Jump City." Raven stayed quiet. Robin desperately prayed that would suffice. Surprisingly, it did. Raven seemed to relax marginally. They stood in uncomfortable silence for a minute or two.

"Did you think about…us, while you were gone?" Raven asked. She stared at the floor as if the question was meant for the carpet. Robin wordlessly got a plate, loaded two slices of pizza on it, and set it in the microwave to heat up. He stared at the rotating pizza, trying to formulate an answer.

The truth was he had, but only on the ride back out of Gotham. Until that point the mission had filled his mind, leaving room for nothing else. During the ten hours from Gotham to Jump, Robin had gone through everything that had happened from every potential angle. If he dated Raven, he would become at least partly responsible for her emotions, and unlike Starfire's emotions, Raven's had the potential to cause unthinkable damage. Also, Starfire might feel betrayed that her friend and her ex-boyfriend were going out, and heaven knew that the team fought enough without extra incentive. And Cyborg was more protective of Raven than he was of Star, and Robin didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with him. Finally, Robin didn't want to have to see her die in battle and know that he had failed her as both her leader and as her boyfriend. That one had kept him away from Star for awhile.

But Raven was…Raven. Not a whining mall-crawler like Kitten, but a warrior, willing to give her life and soul for those she cared for. She was one of the most powerful people he had ever met, and one of the most intelligent. She was the one who was always focused, always keeping the team together. Without her, the Titans would have crashed and burned in a week. And in the past two weeks, he felt as if he had gotten to know her better than ever. And more he saw of her, the more he wanted to see. She wasn't just a creepy Goth girl. Raven was insightful in ways Robin himself couldn't manage; she was respectful and kind and strong and…she was Raven. Robin had no other way to sum her up, only that one word. Raven.

He remembered two nights ago. He had woken from sleep hearing her cry. Robin hadn't even been sure she was crying at all or if he had dreamed it, but his entire body and brain had screamed at him to run, not because she was in danger, but because she was upset. Upset. Robin was never good at comfort. The word upset barely even registered in his brain anymore. But that was all it took from Raven, and Robin hadn't questioned the impulse even once. He hadn't expected her to open up so completely to him either. When Robin had held her, all he wanted was to make it better, even take her pain upon himself. That was when her magic had flowed into him, chaotic and powerful.

She had been weaker than he had ever seen her, but she was still holding on, still refusing to completely give in- still daring to hope that something could be better. And she had confided in him, insisted that he stay with her, let him help her, let him hold her. That night Robin had been more at peace than he had since the death of his parents. All that had mattered was the dark telepath curled in his arms. In the morning Robin had been surprised to say the least that Raven was in bed with him, but it was by no means unpleasant. Robin smiled. When she had butt-bumped him, Robin had wanted to laugh because it was the last thing he had expected. But when she glared at him, Robin had felt a surge of power rush through her body, like caged lightning. His arms were still tingling from the sensation.

The microwave dinged. Robin took out his pizza and walked over to the couch he sat down and set his pizza on the coffee table but did not eat. He looked up at Raven. She had not moved.

"I'm…confused." He said. Raven looked about as pleased with the answer as he felt. Raven turned toward the door. Robin leapt up and grabbed her hand. "But I want to figure this out. Tonight. I don't want us to be awkward anymore." Robin gently tugged on her hand. Raven pulled free but drifted to sit on the sofa. Robin sat next to her, careful not to let their legs touch but without sitting too far away. Robin opened his mouth and started to speak but stopped, shook his head, and looked at Raven.

"How do you feel about us?" Robin asked. A slice of pizza flew to stick to the window. Raven tugged her hood a little tighter around her head and retreated a little deeper into her cloak.

"I…conflicted. I…don't know how to explain. It's all a mess." She mumbled. Robin groaned. At this rate they'd be sixty and still unsure.

"Is there any way we can explain this?" he asked, partly a rhetorical question. Raven dabbed her lower lip with her tongue tip. It took Robin a second to look away. The pizza slice unsticked itself from the window before slamming back into the glass. She stretched out her hand toward him hesitantly, the limb jerking back and forth. She placed her palm on the back of his hand and closed her eyes.

A flood of sensation inundated Robin's mind. He felt at once scared, excited, scared of the excitement, unsure, nervous, and exhausted. Beneath this overwhelming, painful confusion was a single, and very simple, desire, a longing or wish that would never be achieved because it was smothered in confusion and perpetual terror of an unchanging threat.

The sensation only lasted a heartbeat. Robin gasped for breath when it was over. It took him a minute for his vision to focus Raven sat next to him with her hands on her knees, staring at the floor. Was that what she really felt? Robin steeled his nerves. She had shown him everything. He had to return the favor.

"How do I…" Robin started, unable to think of a word for what he had seen. Raven's eyes widened.

"You don't have to do that," she mumbled.

"How do I do it?" he repeated.

"You can't," she told him. "You don't have the mental powers. You can open your mind to mine, but you can't project your emotions to me."

"Then look through my emotions," Robin urged. "I want you to. I want to show you what I feel." Raven shook her head. Her expression was mostly hidden under the hood, but Robin caught a glimpse of her eyes. The expression in those eyes was the same as the one they had in them two nights ago when he first came into her room and she thought he was going to leave her forever.

"I-" Raven stopped abruptly as Robin pressed his index finger to her chakra. Robin willed for her to see everything he felt, every jumbled emotion and petty concern, all of his desires and fears. He exposed himself to her in a way he never had before. Raven went rigid, her eyes frozen wide. Black tentacles arched from her body. Tables, chairs, and appliances were raised in the air and smashed down. The pizza slice was slapped against the window repeatedly.

Then she gasped, and the black tentacles snaked back into her body. Raven's eyes cleared and returned to their usual expression. She stared at Robin for what must have been at least thirty seconds. It was the longest thirty seconds of his life.

"You feel the same." Her voice was soft, incredulous, but relief shone in her eyes. Robin smiled slightly. They sat in silence for several minutes before Robin realized that they still hadn't solved anything. Neither he nor Raven had made a habit out of acting on pure emotion, especially Raven. Robin took a deep breath. He had to know.

"What is it that you really want, Raven?" he asked. Raven stared at her knees. She opened her mouth then closed it again.

"I..." Raven trailed off and shook her head. Even with Robin's limited perception he could feel the misery clinging to her. A burst of dark power snaked out and sliced a table behind them in two. Robin didn't flinch.

"Tell me, Raven. Please." Robin urged quietly. He didn't know what else to do. Raven's eyes flicked up to his. She teethed her lower lip, not quite biting it but rather touching her upper teeth to it. Raven reached over and put her arm around his shoulder. She leaned toward him to rest her head on his shoulder. Robin didn't move a muscle. She had managed to surprise him yet again.

"This is all I want," Raven murmured. "I'm sorry if you wanted something else."

"I was hoping you would want this." Robin wrapped his left arm around her back and placed his right hand above her hip, turning his body and leaning back so that she lay on top of him. They were not quite lying down, but rather Robin supported them with one shoulder angled into the side of the couch. Raven spread her palms across his shoulders, pushing away from him to keep herself up. Her hood had fallen and her beautiful, beautiful amethyst eyes seemed to glow, wide with surprise. Her gray skin shone like pearl in the moonlight. Her hair cascaded around her face, catching the light and turning forty shades of purple. She was gorgeous and startled, and Robin thought that this frightened goddess was about to turn and run.

Slowly Raven eased down onto his chest and laid her head against his collarbone. Her hands lay flat on his shoulders, fingers curled over the rise in the bone. Robin moved his arms to wrap around her back and waist, and Raven relaxed slowly into his embrace.

"I shouldn't," she murmured, her voice cracking. "I…Yes." There was finality in that last word. "Yes. This is what I want." And then, in a much lower tone, "This is what I need." Raven nuzzled against him, and Robin reached out and pecked her chakra on an impulse. Raven let escape a tiny gasp, and Robin stiffened, worried he had done something wrong.

"It's fine," she assured him, once more settling against his chest. "I just…got a stronger reception that time." Robin stroked her hair away from her face, fingertips caressing her head, running down the space behind her ears. She leaned into his touch, the faintest whimper slipping from her throat. Raven had been starved for affection her whole life, by her father and her own necessary lifestyle. But Robin felt no desire to take advantage of that. He admired every curve of her figure, every part of her beautiful body, but simply lying down with her was fulfilling, peaceful.

And even now, Raven was a powerhouse, seething with energy and magic.

They lay like that for perhaps half an hour, half lying down, Raven's head resting against him, her hands sometimes drifting from his shoulder to his arms and back again. Robin held her close, but his arms were lax. Occasionally one of his hands moved up and down her back. The panther in his lap never made a sound, but when his hands drifted she arched her back ever so slightly into them. Robin could not help but brush his lips against her head at least once. She was unbelievably soft and warm and present, in a way that was comforting and reassuring. Raven stretched and pressed her lips against the lowest part of his cheek, next to his ear. Eventually Raven stirred and Robin sat up, keeping one arm circling her waist. She rubbed her eyes and looked down before her gaze flitted back to his.

"Do you want to finish you pizza?" she asked. Robin nodded but he held onto her hand as he ate. Thankfully she did not try to pull away, she only fixed the damaged furniture. "What about that one?" Robin asked when the first three slices were gone. "Do you think it's still good?" The pizza slice on the window promptly fell to the floor. "Nevermind." Raven smiled faintly and levitated the pizza into the garbage can.

"So do you want to…" Robin trailed off, suddenly nervous. Raven raised an eyebrow. "Like two nights ago." He finished lamely. Raven took her hand out of his and looked at her pearly legs.

"If it's ok, could we slow down a bit?" she asked, hesitant.

"Of course," Robin agreed. Much as he liked lying down with her, he knew that for this to work they had to take baby steps. And he wanted it to work so badly.

"How about we go out on Thursday, say about seven-ish?" he suggested. Raven's eyes widened.

"Like, on a date?" she asked?

"Let's not call it a date yet," Robin suggested, noting the beginning traces of panic in her voice. "How about we just go have a nice time alone, just the two of us, and at the end we can decide if it counts as our first date?" Raven nodded a little shyly, but when Robin placed his hand on her leg she squeezed his hand in her own.

"Well…goodnight," Raven said softly. Robin watched her drift from the room.

"Hey, Raven?" Raven turned to face him. Robin smiled at her from over the back of the sofa. "Sweet dreams."

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Killer Frost tapped her foot impatiently.

"Are you done yet?" she snapped.

"I am more accustomed to freezing people than unfreezing them, but yes, I am almost done." Mr. Freeze's voice echoed slightly in his suit. Killer Frost grinned viscously, staring at the frozen guards.

"You and I both." She replied.

"There, it is done, though why Savage wants her free first, I do not know." Mr. Freeze said. The glass-covering rose as the layer of ice covering a girl dressed in a green robe hissed and dissipated into chilling steam. The girl stumbled, her expression unreadable beneath her grinning cat mask.

"Who are you?" she snarled, unsheathing hand claws. "What's going on?"

"Vandal Savage told me to give these to you, and to tell you the old hideout, east side, tonight." Killer Frost said in a bored drawl, handing the girl a pair of swords. She slung the scabbards across her back and ran off, muttering dire threats against 'Daddy Sportsmaster'.

"Such a bloodthirsty girl, that Cheshire." Mr. Freeze spoke without emotion, as always. "Come, now that I know the basic wiring, it will take me only a few second to free the next one."

"Well hurry. If everyone isn't out of here by sunrise we'll have company." Killer Frost complained, staring through a window across the icy industrial city to where the outline of a giant T could be seen, barely visible in the sun's absence. They only had a few hours.

Whew! That took me longer than it should have. Again, I won't be updating for a while, especially if people keep messing with my computer. And once again, thank you and review!


	14. Everything Is New

Ok, after this, no more chapters until Friday . I'm bummed too, but I have to do well on exams. Please encourage me to do well on exams by leaving me nice long reviews to read once I'm done studying so I have something to look forward too. And while the big M is still far, far away, there's a little M-rated treat in here. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

A young man leaned against a grimy rooftop door, glaring down at the city beneath him. His city. The young man shivered in his sleeveless red shirt and skintight black pants. Hitching the bow and quiver a little higher on his shoulder, he strutted along a rooftop edge, mumbling under his breath. Stupid Bumble Bee.

"'Go on night patrol', she says," he muttered. "'It'll teach you responsibility for your actions', she says. I shot one arrow, one. That was my drumstick anyway." The man rubbed at a black asterisk on the back of his neck. An identical mark blackened his left hand. "Stupid stingers."

A sudden movement snapped him out of his reverie. The young man stayed still, peering into the predawn allies. He noticed a figure crouching behind a trashcan. He set his jaw. He would recognize that mask and robe anywhere, though the swords were new. How she escaped, he had no idea, but he wasn't passing an opportunity for revenge. When he was sure she hadn't noticed him, he crept around her, carefully moving into position, noting her movements.

His target climbed onto the roof of an apartment complex, a good ten feet below him. She clearly didn't know this town. There was nowhere for her to go but down onto the streets where she might be seen. He smiled, creeping so that the wind was directly behind him, moving slowly so as not to make too much noise. She was delaying on the center of the rooftop, unaware of his presence.

Whatever sounds might have alerted her were drowned by the wind. The wind was on his side, blowing in a straight line down from him toward her. He selected his arrow carefully, taking his time to draw back the string, aiming with the ease of long practice.

At the exact moment he fired she stood a little straighter with her head angled up like she could smell something. But by then the arrow had sprouted a boxing glove and struck her full in the shoulder blades with the added speed of the wind. She tumbled head over heels. He had wisely saved his next arrow, knowing full well her agility. Sure enough, instead of pitching over the side she rolled and sprang back toward the center of the roof, looking for an enemy who crouched above her.

But the second step of his plan was only half successful. The arrow split into a giant net above her, and though she tried to dodge, half the net hit her, and she stumbled. The young man fired three arrows, but his quarry ducked one, evaded the second, and sliced the third into three pieces.

"Crap," he muttered. The young woman was on the same rooftop as he was in an instant. She leveled the tip of her sword to his throat, pushing in just enough to make him cough.

"That was a dirty, underhanded little scheme," she spat from behind the unchanging mask. "You might actually be worth my time." The sword dug a little deeper. "Shame I have to kill you." The young man leaned back so that the sword hovered right in front of him but was not touching his skin.

"'Have to' is a little strong, don't you think?" He jabbed up, and his arrow tip hit her sword. Blue sparks ran along the sword and all across her body as she dropped the sword and fell to the tar-covered roof with a surprised scream. He fired an arrow through her robe and into the ground before leveling the tip of another arrow to the eyehole of her mask. "How quickly the tables have turned." He crowed.

Steel claws shot out of her wrists and slashed the arrow and bow to pieces. He cursed and fell back, pulling two arrows out of his quiver. She ripped free of the arrow in her robe and lunged, twisting him so that she held him from behind with her claws at his throat, choking him.

"So true," she said. "As much as I would like to finish this, I have somewhere to be. But don't worry, we'll pick up right where we left off, and soon, _handsome_." She purred the last word, then leapt away, vanishing in the mild snowstorm. The young man gasped for breath, wondering whether or not to tell his friends what had happened.

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Raven woke up feeling groggy. She didn't particularly want to get out of bed. She rolled over to see the first light of dawn breaking the horizon. If she wanted alone time she had to move now. Raven sighed and rolled out of bed. She summoned her cloak and fastened it at her throat, the cool touch of the rubies and fabric soothing under her fingers. Raven paused before leaving her room. A question had sprung to her mind unbidden: what day was it? Raven rarely bothered with the days of the week. But for some reason this mattered a lot.

Then it clicked: date night. The phrase was so unusual for her, so alien that Raven didn't know what to make of it. Did she have to dress up? Did Robin expect her to wear makeup? No, not even Beast Boy could be that delusional. Probably. Raven took a deep breath and forced herself to consider the idea: a night alone with Robin, not spent talking about nightmares or bitter personal enemies. Hmmm…

Raven found herself grinning and fought to kill the smile. When she was satisfactorily composed, Raven passed through her door rather than unlocking it and walked down the hall, intent on a solitary pot of morning tea.

Raven could smell eggs and ham and hear music fifteen feet from the main room. When she walked inside, Raven was confronted with the sight of Batgirl and Robin making breakfast together. Batgirl was making scrambled eggs and laughing uproariously. Robin was pulling a ham out of the oven and smiling hugely. Classic rock poured out of a stereo, not the worst song, but much too loud and fast-paced for her taste. Raven stopped moving as something settled into her stomach, a sensation too foreign for her to name but certainly unpleasant.

"Morning Raven," Robin greeted her, smiling a little wider.

"Could you turn that down? I don't think the Titans East heard you." She replied scathingly, her voice monotonous.

"Are you always this perky?" Batgirl asked. Raven should have been able to respect her sarcasm, but for some reason Batgirl's comment rubbed her the wrong way. Not bothering to respond, Raven glided to the cabinet and began fixing herself a pot of tea. "Want some breakfast?" Batgirl offered, twirling a spatula between her fingertips like a baton.

"Just herbal tea." Raven intoned, repressing the urge to knock the spatula out of her hands

"Are you sure? Me and Robin made plenty."

"No." She was glad for the hood that hid her scowling features from sight. Raven stared at her teapot, waiting for it to fill.

"She'd get along great with Bruce," Batgirl murmured, so quietly Raven almost missed it.

"She certainly would." Robin responded in a normal voice. Raven frowned. How did Batgirl know Bruce? And how did she know about Robin's connection to the trillionaire? Something Robin had said came to mind: _When I lost my mother and father, I gained two new fathers: Bruce Wayne and Batman_...

Raven made yet another note to talk to Robin about her newest suspicion as she took the whistling kettle off the stove. Raven poured herself a cup of tea while Robin and Batgirl loaded their plates with eggs and ham.

"Hey, Raven, come and sit with us." Robin invited, smiling. Raven reluctantly walked over to sit with Robin and Batgirl at the very table she had sliced in half last night. Robin sat at the head with Batgirl on his left and Raven on his right.

"Thanks for healing me last night, Raven," Batgirl said. "I feel good as new." Batgirl demonstrated by stomping her left leg on the floor several times.

"No problem," Raven replied, warming minutely to this new person in their tower.

"You must have had tons of practice healing yourself after battles," Batgirl commented innocently. Raven resisted the urge to sneer. She could sense that Batgirl was sincerely grateful and that she didn't intend for the comment to be offensive, but the implication of her words was clear. Raven set her jaw.

"Yeah, I did. You handled the pain fairly well; was that from experience too?" Raven asked, barely managing to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"Yep. But someone had to be there to pull Robin's butt out of danger," she replied before turning to the boy in question. "Robin, do you remember that time we were fighting the Joker and he had those J-shaped blades and he cut your belt-"

"If you finish that story I'll tell everyone about that time your cape got caught on a fence." Robin yelled over her. Batgirl narrowed her eyes but fell silent. Raven raised an eyebrow at Robin. Robin's face was beet red. He glanced at her before staring at his plate and shoveling eggs into his mouth as fast as possible. They finished their meal in silence, and Raven was glad, not just because it left her with a few minutes of silence but because she felt so out of the conversation. Batgirl and Robin had known each other for so long, Raven felt uncomfortable being around them.

Robin finished his breakfast in record time and washed his plate. He walked back over to the table and turned to face Raven. She looked at him, and was absurdly pleased to notice he was wearing one of his longer capes that completely covered his body just like her cloak. The mental image of Robin under her cloak popped to mind, and Raven barely kept herself from demolishing the wall. Tea. More tea.

"Raven, could you wake Starfire and Jinx for me? Tell her to have a quick breakfast and come to the gym for a team training exercise. I'll go wake Beast Boy, Kid Flash, and Cyborg." Raven drained her cup and studied Robin with a blank face.

"What kind of training exercise?" Raven asked. Robin smirked. _Oh that can't be good_ she thought.

"You'll see." He vanished through the doors before she could respond.

Raven was the first inside the gym. She gawked at the jungle gym Robin had set up. It was at least eight times the size of the first and encompassed all manner of ropes, bars, and beams. Fortunately the gym was several stories high. Robin was doing some warm up exercises about twenty feet off the floor. When he saw Raven he walked down to her- literally. Robin stepped from level to level like a giant staircase, sometimes dropping six or seven feet without missing a beat. Raven found that her eyes were glued to him, enthralled by his easy grace.

"What do you think?" he asked, spreading his arms to gesture to the massive structure behind him.

"I think you never sleep and that's why you have way too much time on your hands." Raven responded, voice neutral. Robin grinned. Just then Batgirl walked in, followed by Beast Boy and Cyborg.

"How do you stand being in costume all day?" Batgirl wondered aloud. "This thing is starting to stick to me." She began picking at the fabric in an attempt to loosen it, tugging on her arms, legs, and breasts. Beast Boy kept stared at her for a second before staring fixatedly at the floor, face more red than green, like a Christmas card.

"I thought you were a hero?" Cyborg questioned, but he was starting to blush too.

"Yeah, but I have a secret identity. I'm normally only Batgirl when I need to be."

"You get used to it." Robin said. Raven noticed that he wasn't staring but he wasn't blushing either. Suddenly feeling self-conscious around the other heroine, Raven withdrew into her cloak.

"Oh, Robin, while you were gone Two Face's goons got out of jail." Cyborg said.

"What? How? Did you catch them?" Robin asked in one breath.

"Man, they got out without raising the alarm or attacking anyone. The prison called us when they found the cell empty, but they were long gone. There wasn't a broken wall or anything either, no clues to follow. Just wanted to let you know."

Robin probably would've initiated a lengthy interrogation if Starfire hadn't flown in just then, closely followed by Jinx. Kid Flash vibrated through the wall seconds later.

"How come we're always the late ones?" Jinx asked Kid Flash. Kid Flash was about to respond when Robin cut him off.

"Ok Titans! First, this is Batgirl, an old friend of mine from before I joined the Titans. She'll be staying with us for awhile. Let's all try to make her feel welcome." Starfire immediately asked Batgirl what planet she was from, how she got to the tower, what was her favorite color, and if she would be her friend.

"Um, Earth, rode with a spiky haired maniac, black, and why not?"

"Joyous!" Starfire began to crush Batgirl in a hug, but Robin interrupted again.

"Alright everyone, listen up! Today we're going to work on our agility. The goal is simple. Two people are going to have a mock battle on this jungle gym. Whoever touches the ground first loses. Everyone will go at least once. All powers and weapons allowed. Any questions?"

"Yeah, isn't it unfair that some of us can fly and others can't?" Cyborg asked with a nervous glance at Starfire.

"You really think that flight gives you an advantage?" Robin asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Alright. How about a demonstration." Robin said, eyes gleaming. "Batgirl, let's show them how it's done."

"With pleasure," Batgirl said, leaping into the jungle gym like a monkey. Robin leapt up and turned to Cyborg.

"You're going to be referee, ok?" Cyborg gave him a thumbs up. The two faced off, fists raised.

"On your marks, get ready, Titans Go!" Cyborg shouted. Robin and Batgirl began a fight unlike anything Raven had ever seen. The two punched, blocked, kicked, dodged, and climbed so quickly they were mere blurs. For minutes on end the gym would resound with the thump of flesh on flesh and the grunts of one or the other hitting and being hit. After five minutes the team was impressed. After ten they were slack-jawed with awe. The two knew each other so well that neither seemed able to get an edge over the other.

After about twenty minutes Robin and Batgirl stood on a narrow balance beam about eighteen feet off the ground, both breathing heavily. Batgirl managed to land a hard punch in Robin's gut and leap back to avoid retaliation. Robin launched a barrage of attacks, all of which were blocked.

"You're slowing down, Boy Wonder." She teased. Robin kicked at her. Batgirl rolled under the kick and behind him to sweep Robin's leg out from under him. Robin rolled, turned, and lashed out with both bo staffs. Batgirl dodged by a hair's breadth and was forced to go on the defensive. Robin swung again and again, hitting nothing but air.

Robin swiped twice at her feet, and Batgirl leapt straight up, aiming a kick at his head. Robin knocked her leg aside with one bo staff and jumped up to crack the other one into her ribs and send her flying off the balance beam. Batgirl twisted in midair and shot a bat-shaped grappling hook. Robin hurled one of his birdarangs, but the grappling hook knocked it aside. By the time the two projectiles had collided Robin had already drawn a second birdarang and cut the cord. He leapt down and drove his foot into Batgirl's stomach.

Robin caught a bar eight feet off the ground, but Batgirl still clung to his foot. Robin scowled and dropped a disk directly onto Batgirl's face. She let go of Robin's foot and covered her eyes with her arms right before the flashbang went off. Batgirl hit the floor with a huff. Robin dropped down next to her, smirking. Batgirl staggered up and stumbled toward the line of applauding Titans, hand held to her head.

After that everyone was on board. Jinx beat Kid Flash when he slipped on a dusty bar two minutes into the fight. Beast Boy managed to evade Cyborg for nearly ten minutes before finally succumbing to the half-robot. Starfire lost to Batgirl (who was sufficiently recovered by then) after only seven and a half minutes. Raven stared at a smiling Robin.

"You ready?" Robin asked.

"Don't make it easy for me," Raven warned flying to hover above a beam. Robin clambered up in seconds.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said. Robin flew at her with a kick that nearly smashed her face in. Raven glided away and slashed the beam in half. Robin leapt to the beam above it, and Raven hurled the two broken half at him, which he used as platform to jump up and grab her cloak, pulling her down. Raven phased out of his grasp and flew above him. Robin landed easily and hurled three exploding disks at her. Raven created a shield to protect herself, but the smoke still obscured her vision when she removed the shield. A grappling hook shot through the smog, lassoed her waist, and yanked her down. Robin tied the other end to a beam and broke off the end with a mini explosive.

Raven created a portal just above the ground. She fell through the portal and disentangled herself from the grappling hook in the void between worlds. She opened another portal and dropped silently above Robin, who was leaning over to stare down into the portal on the floor. Raven closed the floor portal and snatched Robin in a giant bird's talon. Robin yelled as she hurled him to the floor, but he managed to catch another beam and hoist himself up. After that Raven was forced to run. Fists, bolas, feet, staffs, birdarangs, and disks assaulted her constantly.

After maybe fifteen minutes a kick sent Raven hurling down to land on her back on the lowest beam. She saw, upside down and through blurry eyes, Batgirl yelling and laughing and jumping up and down. She looked up to see Robin land on the beam next to her, reaching to shove her down. Raven thrust out her hand and encased his entire body, from hair to toe, in her black energy. Raven levitated him so that he dangled over the edge, his body in between her and Batgirl she smiled a tiny smile and dropped him to the floor before releasing her hold. Raven floated down to wild applause. She had won.

Robin congratulated the team for finishing the exercise so well. Beast Boy shouted that he was going to cook up some tofu dogs and start a free-for-all game of Mega Monkeys 4. Naturally, Cyborg insisted on making real hot dogs so no one would have to eat tofu. Kid Flash ran after them, and Jinx rolled her eyes at Raven but followed her ever-hungry boyfriend. Starfire wasn't far behind, as she knew that hot dogs meant mustard. Batgirl approached Robin, but he waved her off.

"Go with the others; it'll provide a good chance for you guys to get to know everyone. I'll catch up later." He told her, pushing his hands against the small of his back. Batgirl frowned but left. Raven drifted over to Robin, unable to hide her smirk.

"You didn't think I could do it, did you?" she asked. Robin smiled.

"I knew it was a possibility." Raven smiled a little wider at his attempt to save face.

"Is your back ok?" she asked.

"Yeah it's fine." He replied. "But it'll be even better once I beat you in a rematch." Raven grinned. She felt giddy after beating Robin.

"You really want to go again?" she asked. Robin nodded, smirking. "Tell you what: if you win, you can decide everything we do tomorrow." Robin's eyes widened. Raven summoned all his discarded weapons and deposited them on the floor in front of him. "What do you say, little birdie?"

"I'd say I'm looking forward to a night of action movies and pizza," he replied glibly, rapidly restocking his belt. "Just don't hold anything back."

"I won't if you won't."

They climbed half way into the jungle gym before they began to fight again. This time Robin was more careful, avoiding her more than he was fighting her. Raven launched a ten-foot pole at him, and Robin jumped up to avoid it. Raven frowned. It would have been easier for him to jump down. What was he planning? Raven decided to go along with his little game for now.

Slowly Raven saw a pattern forming. Robin was moving ever up and circling to keep her in roughly the same place. When they were as high as the bars went Raven drifted up to look down at him. She was ready to grab him the way she had before when she heard a faint beeping from the ceiling above her. Robin took out a detonator.

Raven had managed to drop ten feet so she was at his height when the mini-bomb exploded. She used her magic to funnel the force, dust, and debris straight at Robin. Robin's figure vanished in a burst of dust, plaster, and pure force. Raven stayed where she was, waiting for the dust to settle. The bomb wasn't that powerful. Robin would be sprawled out on one of the lower beams. But she couldn't see squat with all the dust, and she and Robin had been so active in the past few minutes that traces of emotion and thought had permeated every surface. When the dust cleared, Robin was nowhere to be seen. Raven turned in all directions looking for him. Where was he?

Too late Raven realized what his real plan was. A Bo staff cracked across the back of her head, just hard enough to make her lose all focus for a few seconds. Raven fell, but her body twisted as she shook her head, trying to clear away the stars. She missed the beam directly below her by a millimeter and plunged toward the concrete. She dimly heard Robin scream her name. Her head cleared seconds before impact, and Raven turned onto her back reaching to try and grab a beam or bar, but it was all out of reach. Robin leapt down to her out of nowhere and grabbed her. He landed with one knee on the ground and the other leg bended, like knight bowing to a king. Raven was barely aware of it.

Robin had tired to pull her into him, but he had run out of time. So Raven was held horizontal, facing the ceiling, his hands and forearms supporting her. One of her legs had gone between Robin's legs, and Robin's thigh had been pressed hard into her loins. The pressure his leg left was completely new to her, warm and tingling and strange.

At once Passion had flared, roaring for Raven to press down on his thigh, to reach up and kiss Robin like she never had before. Passion's demands were so powerful Raven would have obeyed them without question if she had been able to move. But her mind was fogged by the newness of the sensation, and Raven was able to force Passion back.

When her mind cleared, Raven realized Robin had been babbling apologies nonstop, his eyes wide with distress. For a moment Raven lay on his arms and listened to him apologize again and again for hitting her and making her fall and being an idiot and a million other things. Then her bond opened up, and Robin's distress, guilt, horror, fear, relief, and self-loathing swamped her mind. The swarm of his emotions coupled with the lingering sensation between her legs left her head swimming.

Raven forced herself to push away from him and stand up, closing her mind. Robin stood with her, still babbling and seemingly unaware of what he had really done.

"Enough!" Raven shouted. The jungle gym collapsed. Raven took a deep breath. "It's ok," she murmured more gently. "I just have to be alone, alright?" The mingled confusion, hurt, relief, and guilt Robin gave off both warmed and disturbed her. Raven put up her hood, turned, and began to phase through the wall.

"Are we still good for Thursday?" Robin asked, a note of panic in his voice. Raven faced him, half in and half out.

"Of course," she said after a pause. Raven phased into her room and stumbled to collapse on her knees, torso flat on the bed. She panted lightly, mind frazzled, an echoing throb radiating from between her legs. _What was that?_ She wondered.

Last chapter until Friday, so don't expect anything more until then. But please give me your thoughts on this (like all the others chapters, typos will be edited later in the week).


	15. Dates and Plots

I know I said I would have this out for Friday, but exams really took it out of me and meddlesome parents didn't help. I'll try to get the next one up today! And thank you, everyone who's reviewed. Keep it up!

"See? There's nothing there. I just locked it out of habit. Although it might be a good idea just to keep it locked- distract anyone else who breaks in," Robin mused aloud. Beast Boy turned into a bloodhound and sniffed the inside of the vault that had once contained the Red X suit before reverting back to human form. The changeling scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"My bad," Beast Boy said, clearly embarrassed. Robin smiled a little.

"It's cool. Next time just ask me before you wear my clothes though, ok?" Robin said. Beast Boy nodded and walked away. Robin watched him go, the smile lingering. The usual faint scowl replaced it when he was sure the shape shifter had left. Robin reached into his utility belt and withdrew the tiny insulated packet. No trace of the object it contained could be detected as long as it remained in the packet. But he would breath easier once he wasn't carrying it on his person anymore.

Robin carefully placed the packet in the vault and closed the door, taking great pains to activate and double check every lock before resetting all the security measures on the safe yet again. When he had finished Robin glanced up from the computer at the safe. Held inside was a relic from the Batcave not even Babs knew of, something Bruce had made Robin swear to take with him when the Justice League came for his mentor. Robin hoped he would never need to use it.

Robin pushed the whole thing to the back of his mind. It couldn't hurt anyone nor was it important. He locked the door to the safe and strode to his room. He only had an hour to prepare for his possible date with Raven, assuming she didn't ditch him for whacking her in the skull with a metal stick and sending her hurling through a maze of hard metal objects to nearly splatter on the floor below. Robin thought he might throw up. Raven might not want to see him. She might go out with him. Nervous nausea either way.

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Raven sat meditating on her bed. She had already brushed her teeth and changed into a fresh uniform. She couldn't think of anything else to do. She and Robin had agreed to leave at seven. When Robin came to her door to ask what time, Raven had thought she would bring down the ceiling. Now her mind was relatively calm, though lingering chills from her most recent nightmares remained.

Malchior was rapidly becoming a major part of her nightmares. The dragon taunted Raven for her weakness, laughed at her innermost thoughts, scorned her desires, and incited her emotions. Every time he was done with her Raven felt small and insignificant. Last night she had placed a blank book on her nightstand before she fell asleep. When Malchior appeared, she willed the book to appear in her hands and attempted to cast the spell that had previously locked him away. Her effort aroused only ridicule. Malchior could not be banished and sealed in a book unless he was right in front of her. She couldn't stop him.

Raven could feel dread rising in her throat, and she forced it down.

"Focus Raven," she told herself. "Focus on meditating. Soon you'll be on your night with Robin." The thought twisted her gut into a pretzel, and she almost lost control. Raven took a deep breath and assumed her lotus position. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

Raven meditated until the clock said it she had five minutes until her date. No her potential date, she reminded herself. They may decide not to go any farther. That thought didn't help her think straight. Raven drifted through her door and walked down to Robin's room. She wasn't sure if this was what she was supposed to do, but she had never been on a- whatever this was- before. Besides, this whole thing was so poorly planned that it was likely to end in disaster. Another unhelpful thought. Robin was leaving his room as Raven approached. He was wearing his usual uniform with a long cape. Robin touched his mask as if to make sure it was still there before he turned and noticed Raven.

"Uh, hey," he said. Raven just raised an eyebrow under her hood. Smooth, Boy Wonder. "What do you want to do tonight?" he asked.

"Don't you have a plan?" she asked, wondering if he had put any thought into this at all.

"I thought since, you know, this isn't technically a…date yet, we could improvise," Raven feel Robin inwardly wince at the way the words came out. "You and I could each choose something that we want to do, and we see where it goes from there." He waited, but Raven remained silent, unsure how to respond. "So, Raven, if you wanted to just go have a good time someplace, where would you go?" Raven studied Robin's expression and emotions, searching for discontent, reluctance. All she could find was nervousness and excitement.

"There's this dark coffee shop I sometimes go to," Raven told him. Robin nodded.

"I know the one you're talking about," Robin said, a touch of relief and confidence in his voice now that they had a semblance of a plan.

"What do you want to do tonight?" Raven asked before he could dash off. She didn't want the focus of tonight (or anything else) to be on her alone. Robin studied her for a second.

"Let's make a deal. Instead of teleporting us there, we ride my R-cycle to the coffee shop. That way we both do something we like, and we save time." Raven considered the proposition before nodding her ascent. Raven walked next to Robin down to the garage, neither speaking. She hoped that they didn't meet any of the others on their way out. Raven didn't want to tell anyone where they were going. Robin seemed to feel the same, for he took a detour to avoid the more crowded rooms and halls.

Robin clambered onto the R-cycle and started the engine with a mechanical roar Cyborg would have been proud of. He slipped a red helmet over his head of black spear blades before handing a smaller helmet to Raven.

"No thanks," she intoned, trying to push it away. Robin's arm didn't budge.

"You'll die without it if we get in an accident," he told her.

"I've seen you ride this thing before. It'll take more than a helmet to save my life at those speeds." Robin frowned at Raven's retort. "There's a reason Cyborg never lets you drive the T-car." Robin put down the helmet and muttered something unintelligible with a shrug. Raven hesitantly straddled the back of the R-cycle, leaving a few inches of space between her and Robin.

"Alright, hang on," he warned. Raven gripped the side of the motorcycle with her fists. Was she really supposed to ride like this? The answer came the moment the R-cycle started moving when Raven promptly fell butt-first onto the garage floor. Robin turned the R-cycle around in a complete one-eighty almost the moment she fell. "You need to hang on tighter than that." He told her. Raven scowled.

"How am I supposed to hang on to this death-trap without something to grab?" she snapped. Robin started to say something, then apparently thought better of it.

"Grip the bike with your legs," he said instead. "And there's more to grab onto than just handlebars." Raven could sense a flicker of embarrassment at these last words, and she frowned as she got back on the red monster, squeezing her thighs against the metal as tight as she could. Before Raven could ask what she was supposed to grab, Robin revved the bike and shot out of the garage.

Raven's legs provided enough grip for her to stay on for a few seconds. The speed of the bike forced Raven forward, making her slid into Robin. She instinctively latched her arms around his waist, eyes tightly shut against the wind of the bike. After about a minute the bike jolted, and Raven forced herself to open her eyes. They were weaving through traffic, heading toward a suspension bridge Killer Moth had once targeted. How had they made it across the water? Raven found that she really didn't care as they gained speed, maneuvering in between cars at speeds that were certainly illegal.

"Uh, Robin? You can slow down." Raven tried to tell him as they hurtled toward the back of an eighteen-wheeler caught in traffic. Either Robin didn't hear or he ignored her, because the Boy Wonder didn't slow down at all. If anything, they seemed to be gaining speed as they approached the stationary truck. Raven prepared herself to create a portal (and send Robin to another dimension on their way out) when her heart jumped past her throat and into her mouth.

Robin had swerved to the side and jumped the bike to ride along the railing. On the bridge itself, traffic was at a crawl, maybe ten miles an hour max. Robin drove at least ninety miles per hour along the railing, with Raven screaming the whole way. Raven completely forgot to control her powers, and her dark energy struck the water, trying to build a tidal wave parallel to the bridge. But Robin was driving so quickly that the wave couldn't keep up, repeatedly splashing back into the bay before building up and collapsing again.

The rest of the trip was a blur, but it couldn't have been more than four minutes until they parallel parked at the coffee shop. They had built up such momentum that Raven's cloak flew over Robin's face when they finally stopped. Raven pulled her cape down with a shaky hand. She reached out, trembling, and summoned a haze of black energy to lower her onto the sidewalk, where she doubled onto her hands and knees. It was the best she could manage.

Raven felt like her internal organs had been scooped out and chucked into the bay as they drove to be replaced with a gyroscope. Robin stepped off the bike easily, hanging his helmet on the handlebars. He looked down at her, masked eyes wide with uncertainty and concern. Raven gave Robin the deepest look of loathing she could muster.

Never. Again.

Without warning her stomach heaved up violently before settling back into its proper place, like an overweight bullfrog jumping after a fly.

Damn motorcycle.

"Raven," Robin said cautiously. "Are you ok?" Raven glared at him.

"Two words- _speed limits_," she growled. Robin reached out to help her up, but Raven stood on her own, brushing off her knees and cloak. Robin muttered something that might have been an apology, but Raven chose to put up her hood and ignore it.

She led the way into the shop, relaxing in the dreary atmosphere. Raven ordered her usual herbal tea and eased into a table in the corner, watching the poetry readings. Robin hesitated before getting a bottle of water (which earned him a slightly more intense than usual glare from the dead-eyed young man behind the counter) before sitting next to her, one hand resting casually on his utility belt.

Raven liked the little shop for a number of reasons. The people here had been dealt a rotten hand by life, like her. They shared Raven's distaste for the glaring volume and vividness of the fast-paced, contradictory modern world. Here the social pariahs grouped together, sharing thoughts and opinions though their poetry to a crowd that understood but refused to judge them. Raven had never read anything here before, nor did she consistently agree with the message of the poems. But she found a quiet pleasure in sitting and listening, knowing that here she did not stand out.

But while Raven was not an uncommon sight in the coffee shop, Robin was. His posture was as straight as Raven's, but he gave off a tense, waiting air, like he was prepare to hurl himself into combat at any moment. Fortunately his long cape hid most of his garish uniform from sight. Otherwise patrons of the coffee shop would have made impromptu poems against him.

Raven slipped into a kind of trance. She enjoyed not standing out, and the poems reminded her that she was not alone. When Raven first glanced at the clock, she realized that they had been there for almost three hours. She looked over at Robin and saw that he had gone slack, like someone had cut the strings supporting him. Raven decided that she had allowed him to indulge her enough for the next few years and stood to leave. Robin followed her stupidly. When they walked outside he sat down on the curb and stared at the ground.

Raven searched their bond and found that his mind was a blank slate with an occasional wisp of thought here or there.

"Robin?" Raven asked after a few minutes.

"Huh?" he replied, looking up at her blearily, mouth slightly open. Raven sat next to him hands on her knees, hood up, back straight. Anyone who saw them would hardly know they were on a date.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Fine…" he answered, voice distant as he blinked and shook his head. Raven could feel his thought process slowly turn back on, emotions entering his mind again in slow, jerky steps. Raven had general idea how Robin had felt after the motorcycle incident earlier. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

"Looks like we're O for two," Raven said monotonously, feeling her stomach sink.

"Hey, the night's not over yet," Robin protested, his voice slowly gaining normalcy. Raven stared straight ahead. She didn't exactly have a frame of reference, but the night seemed like a fiasco to her.

"We tried something you like. We tried something I like. Both failed." Raven intoned. So much for a grand night out. She and Robin didn't share enough interests to honestly enjoy each other's company, clearly not a problem for him and Batgirl. Raven cut off the thought right there. She didn't need to go down that route.

"Let's try one more time," Robin urged. Raven turned to him. Robin smiled. "How about a movie?" Raven narrowed her eyes.

"I'd rather sit here until I was run over than get back on that thing." She said tonelessly. Robin smirked.

"What if I promise to obey the speed limits?" Raven raised an eyebrow skeptically.

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Robin and Raven rode down to the movie theater. Raven bought her own ticket. They didn't speak once through out the entire movie. They didn't scream at the parts that were meant to be scary or joke around when someone on screen did something stupid. They didn't buy sodas or popcorn. They didn't share an armrest, or hold hands, or kiss like the other couples. They rose silently and walked out when the lights came on. Raven had kept her hood up the whole time.

"What did you think?" Robin asked as they walked onto the street. Raven stared at him blankly.

"I had a nice time," she admitted, giving Robin a small smile. Robin returned the gesture.

"Me too." Robin gestured to his bike. "Want to take one last detour?"

"As long as we get there under fifty miles an hour." Raven told him.

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Robin drove out of the city, into the wilderness beyond, to a burned clearing Raven hadn't seen in years. Robin stopped the bike next to a long dead pile of ashes. He dismounted and walked away across the place where Slade had tricked Thunder and Lightning into creating a flame monster. Raven wondered why Robin had brought her here.

Robin motioned for her to follow him. Raven drifted toward Robin where he sat on the edge of a drop off. Before him lay a straight line of burned earth and trees all the way to the very edge of Jump City's suburbs. Robin patted the ground next to him, and Raven sat down cautiously.

"Why did we come out here?" Raven asked.

"Just look at it," he told her. Raven stared at the scar in the earth for a moment.

"Your idea of a romantic vista is a trench of burned dirt?" She questioned.

"Not that, _this_," he said, gesturing at the dark line of trees leading off toward the horizon in all directions except directly in front of them, where the night lights of Jump City twinkled all the way down to the bay. Titans Tower stood at the end of it all, glowing against the dark waters.

"And there's even something worth seeing in the burned patch." Raven looked but couldn't see anything. Robin patted the ground next to them. A green gauze had grown over the ground, the tips of grasses and mosses reclaiming the sooty soil. Raven picked up a handful and allowed the granules of earth to slip through her fingers.

She looked back at Robin. He smiled at her. Raven did not smile, but she continued to sit next to him and stared out over the glimmering city, and when cold breeze sprung up she scooted closer to his side. Robin waited perhaps another thirty seconds to put his arm around her back. Raven stiffened at his touch, her instincts still telling her to move away. Raven debated with herself, six of her eight emotions arguing in Nevermore, until Robin started to remove his arm.

Raven pressed her side against his and allowed her head to rest ever so lightly on his shoulder. Robin's arm stilled before carefully assuming its former position. She allowed her defense to drop and relaxed, feeling Robin's cheek gently touch her head and stay there. Raven's cloak was bunched between them, and Robin's utility belt dug into the soft spot on her side. Her hood obscured his face from her and hers from him, but she didn't care. Raven was calm and content. When she peered through her bond with Robin, she saw that he was too.

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A man floated some four hundred feet in the air at the back of a burned clearing. He stared with superhuman eyes at the couple below him, too caught up with each other to notice his presence. His lips twisted into a smile. He had previously expected to be waiting in this city for days to get the proof he needed. But now he was an eyewitness to the kind of behavior he had been trying to assure the others of. And with Robin, of all the Titans!

Granted it wasn't on the level he had hoped for, but a healthy combination of fear, influence, and wheedling would convince enough of the others to come to his side. And it was a second strike against Robin, the main subject of debate.

As the man flew away, heartened by this meager yet helpful bit of information, he was not aware that another witness had seen both him and the two young people.

A black figure leaned against a fir tree, effectively invisible in the shadows. She intentionally kept herself emotionless, her heart beat slow, steady, and quiet. She watched the man fly away with eyes well accustomed to the night. She turned back to the young couple and crossed her arms.

Catwoman sighed, a sound so soft it was lost in the rustle of the trees. She felt like a voyeur as she watched them, but she wanted to make sure that there was no chance this scene could be brought against the man she loved. _Alfred will be happy at least_, she thought. Two lean, low shapes wound through the trees, cleansing the last traces of a shared rabbit from their lips. One sat on either side of Catwoman. The one on her right butted its head against her thigh, and she scratched its ears. The other batted at her hand, and Catwoman smiled as she ministered to it as well.

Two more figures, one significantly larger than any of the others, prowled over. The largest studied the couple in the clearing before turning back to Catwoman, moonlight glinting on a slash of ivory. Catwoman met its silent question with a shake of her head, and all five departed as the motorcycle roared away, infinitely louder than any of the six beings that had observed its riders.

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Cheshire paced the length of the room again. The hideout was rather small, and this room was really an extra add on. Half of the all-wood room was lit with a sickly light bulb. The other half lay in shadow. Cheshire snorted, tapping her foot sharply against the floor. She glared through the mask, but there was nothing to see or destroy. She began her pacing once more, always keeping to the lighted sections and always with one eye on the door. She stopped as soon as she had started, hand claws shooting from the sleeves of her robe.

"I can't believe I've been waiting for you all this time," she spat. A tall, well-built man in a sleeveless navy muscle shirt and dark pants stepped into the light. A gray hockey mask covered his face, and gray metal plates covered his left arm. Confident brown eyes oozed scorn at the woman in front of him.

"Now is that any way to treat your old dad after all these years, Little Girl?" he asked, tilting his head so that his close-cropped blond hair caught the light.

"I thought I was supposed to meet Vandal Savage, not you." Cheshire snarled.

"Savage asked me to come as well. He didn't tell me I'd have to discipline a five year old." The masked man replied. Cheshire took a step forward, claws raised, eyes murderous beneath her mask. The masked man's hand drifted to the utility belt around his waist.

"My, my, not quite the reunion you were hoping, is it, Sportsmaster?" echoed another voice from directly in front of the door. Both assassins whirled to face the man who had snuck up on them. The newcomer's powerful build was hidden beneath a layer of flexible black body armor, layered with harder gray armor over his throat, chest, arms, legs, and shoulders. A utility belt ran around his waist, and a gray sash looped around his shoulders. The newcomer turned to face the assassins, revealing his tow-sided mask. The left side was orange with a single black eye peering through the eyehole, and the right side was black without an eyehole.

"Deathstroke," Sportsmaster growled.

"I go by Slade now, Sportsmaster," Slade said, his voice carrying the faintest trace of annoyance. "And it appears Vandal Savage's taste in company is slipping if he chose you two to accompany him. I was under the influence that there was some kind of partnership to be had." Slade's single eye narrowed. "Apparently I was wrong."

"Not for the first time," Sportsmaster sneered, voice reeking of disdain. "I hear none of your plans succeeded. Apparently five kids pretending to be the Justice League beat your ass every time."

"Several of my endeavors have been quite successful, and the web of plans and plots is still being spun." Slade asserted, voice still calm. "But at least I became more than a petty mercenary." Sportsmaster growled. He reached into his belt and withdrew a short stick tipped with a large steel ball covered with short sharp bumps. He pressed a button, and the ball clattered to floor on the end of a cord. Sportsmaster twirled the heavy ball in one hand, glaring at Slade through his mask.

"I beat you once," Sportsmaster reminded him. Slade stood straight and tall, legs apart and fists by his side. Cheshire leaned against a wall, her grinning mask for once seeming like a natural albeit cruel expression as she made herself comfortable to watch.

"This time you don't have your _loyal daughter_ here to distract me," Slade said, single eye narrowing to a slit. "I hear she's working for the Justice League now. How disappointing. I suppose the blame belongs with the one who raised her." Sportsmaster's lunge was checked by a forth voice, deep and formal.

"We can't have any of this," Vandal Savage said as he stepped into the light. "It is most unprofessional." The Neanderthal turned to Slade. "And you were correct, Mr. Slade, this is a partnership of sorts, though I do not think it is exactly what you had in mind."

"Then please, enlighten us." Slade said, his voice deceptively light.

"For a decade the Justice League has throttled the evolution of the world. Now a new generation of heroes has emerged. The Brotherhood of Evil sought to end the problem once and for all and very nearly succeeded. But now even they have been destroyed, disbanded. Two colleagues and I have formed a triumvirate of sorts to deal with these problems. We are employing all of our vast resources to dismantle these annoyances hindering the advancement of the strong. Young Cheshire here was only the first of many from the Brotherhood to be freed. But that is only the first step. We have learned from the mistakes of our predecessors. For now we operate in secret, gathering the tools of our war and laying the seeds that will ultimately lead to our enemies' demise. But for our plan to work, we need the best of assassins to aid us." Silence met Vandal's offer.

"That's certainly a lovely tale, but what do you have to offer us in return, Savage?" Slade asked.

"For you, the bargain is simple. We have great need of your cunning and skill. You will remain in your home city opposing the original Titans. We aid your campaigns, and you will facilitate the spread some of our more subtle plans throughout the city. When the time is ripe, we will assist your destruction of the Titans. In return, control of Jump City will be yours." Slade stood in silence. Vandal turned to Cheshire.

"You, my young lady, will be roaming the country, eliminating those targets who have become a nuisance to our cause in exchange for monetary compensations and support from our other sponsors." Cheshire crossed her arms.

"As for you, Sportsmaster, you will be traveling abroad for the most part, eliminating certain annoyances, keeping connections with our more aggressive benefactors strong, and should any of our supporters suddenly get cold feet…" Savage allowed the thought to trail off. Sportsmaster tilted his face toward him.

"You three will work separately, though I cannot guarantee that no emergency will arise in which I will need two or all three of you to cooperate." Savage put his hands behind his back. The scars on his face marred his smile. "Do we have a deal?" The three assassins looked at each other. It was quite clear that Sportsmaster and Cheshire wanted to kill the other two. Slade's desires remained as inscrutable as ever.

"We have a deal." Slade said eventually. The temperature in the room seemed to drop thirty degrees. "But remember, I'm nobody's lackey."

"Deal." Sportsmaster agreed. "But don't think you can get away with any bullshit."

"You got a deal." Cheshire said. "Just don't expect me not to kill these two when it's all over." Sportsmaster's sneer was drowned out by Savage's next statement. Slade's expression remained unknown, but one had the sense he was smiling under the mask.

"You will all receive more detailed instructions when need of your assistance arises."

"Fine." Cheshire turned on her heel and strode to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sportsmaster roared. Cheshire turned, and once more the grin seemed appropriate.

"To change. I have a date to get ready for."

I'm sorry for the lateness! More to come soon. As ever, review!


	16. Confessions and Loose Ends

Sorry I'm late. Enjoy!

Speedy stared around the club, wondering why he wasn't flirting. Bumble Bee had given them the night off for once since the crime was so low. Any minute now some freak would wreak mass havoc, but for now he was free to party. The music was loud, the strobe lights were inducing seizures, and the girls were hot. So why did he, Speedy, the most eligible bachelor in the city, feel absolutely no desire to flirt.

Speedy heard a laugh cut above the rest of the noise. He quickly picked out the source of the sound: a striking young blonde sporting a black choker, a blue jacket, and black skinny jeans. Speedy watched at her with only mild interest before realizing that she reminded him of someone. He remembered his mentor laughing with her, holding hands with her, leaning in to kiss her…

Speedy turned and walked right out of the club. No. He wasn't going to think about his mentors. He wasn't going to conjure up all that guilt. Speedy walked a few blocks down the street, effectively ignoring the biting wind against his bare arms. He turned and leaned against the wall of an alley, just out of sight of anyone on the street. He stared at the opposite wall without really seeing it. He could still her the music from the club.

"Leaving a club all by yourself? All the better for me." Speedy whirled, arrow nocked, aiming straight for the heart of the girl who stood down the alley. "Those girls don't know what're missing." For a moment Speedy didn't recognize her.

"Wait, Cheshire?" She could have finished him then and there. He was completely taken aback by her new look. Her new kimono was a darker shade of green and ended somewhere around mid-thigh. The kimono had slashes along the legs and sides, revealing her olive skin. The sleeves ended at her wrists now, and she had done away with the pigtails, letting her thick black hair stop just beneath her shoulders. In addition to the swords and hand claws, a pair of sais was sheathed at her waist.

"Do you like the new look?" Cheshire asked. "I hope so; I changed just for you."

"I'm flattered." Speedy said dryly. "But why go through all the trouble. Cheshire drew her Sais.

"You know what they say about third dates." She teased before lunging. Speedy waited until her sais were almost at his heart before firing. The arrow fit her in the chest hard enough to bring her to a stumbling halt. Speedy leapt onto a dumpster and fired three sets of two arrows. One arrow clipped her shoulder but the rest were dodged or knocked aside. Cheshire leapt up slammed her foot into Speedy's chest, twisting to toss him onto the pavement.

Speedy bounced on the pavement before a knee-length boot landed on his sternum and a hand clasped his mouth. He let out a strangled scream as the three spines of a sai pierced his ribs, not striking anything vital but lancing fiery pain into his body. Cheshire leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"You like it rough, don't you."

Speedy freed one arm and drove the arrow clutched in his fist through the eyehole of her mask with every ounce of force he could muster, hurling Cheshire into the wall with a painful thud. Her scream of pain was muffled as the rounded arrow tip burst, encasing her head and shoulders in a block of ice. Speedy kicked her hard in the gut, tore off one sleeve of her kimono, and dodged a clumsy stab. He retreated to the alley across the street. Speedy could see Cheshire staggering, trying to break the ice trapping her skull without stabbing herself. He fired an explosive arrow, but his aim was thrown off his injury. Instead of hitting her in the heart, it detonated at her feet. Speedy didn't check to see how much damage it had done. He bound his ribs with the kimono sleeve, for while the wound was not deep it was bleeding profusely, leaving a scarlet trail across the street and dying his uniform an even more vibrant shade of red.

Speedy leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath. Blood loss had made him light-headed and dizzy. As he tried to remember what he was supposed to do next, a pair of clawed hands grabbed him ad slammed him into the wall. Instinctively he thrust out with the first arrow he could grab from his quiver. By sheer luck he drew a pointed arrow and drove it into Cheshire's shoulder, deep enough that he could feel the scrape of the point against bone through the shaft before it snapped off in her flesh.

Cheshire choked back her scream. Water streamed from the eyeholes of her mask as she pinned the archer's chest against the wall, claws at his neck. Speedy prepared himself for the stab. Instead the assassin's breath curled around his ear, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

"Well played, boyfriend." Speedy felt the force holding him in place vanished. He fell back, stumbling on the alley litter. He scooped his bow off the ground, shakily nocking an arrow. Cheshire was gone.

"What happened to you?" Speedy whirled and fired. Kid Flash yelped and ducked, but the arrow went wide anyway.

"Sorry," Speedy panted. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"I need to talk to you and Aqualad," Kid Flash told him. Speedy frowned. KF looked unusually serious. Something was very, very wrong. Kid was never serious. Speedy tried to say something, but pain shot through his wound. Speedy gasped, and Kid Flash eased him onto an old box.

"You're hurt," Kid Flash noticed.

"Never mind that," Speedy hissed. "What do you need to talk to me and Aqualad about?" Kid Flash hesitated.

"I better tell you separately."

"Tell us what separately?" Speedy roared.

"Roy…It's about our mentors."

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Robin stopped in the hallway. The passage ended in T. He turned to Raven. This is where they would part ways. She glanced at the ground, her pale silver cheeks touched with the faintest coloring of rose. No skill with makeup could have achieved that.

"So…" Robin started. He cleared his throat. This self-doubt had to stop. "I had a really good time tonight." He said, deciding not to comment on the emptiness the poetry readings had left him with.

"So did I," Raven said softly. Robin allowed the silence between them to drag out.

"So, does this count as our first date?" Robin spoke the last words more quietly, nervousness gnawing at him. Raven didn't respond at first.

"It should," she said at last, still not looking up.

"Good." Raven glanced at him, her eyes inscrutable. Her lips twitched up in the barest flicker of a smile. It was enough. Robin felt a knot of tension melt out of him.

"See you tomorrow, Robin." Raven murmured.

"Night," Robin told her as the empath turned and drifted away. He had thought something like this might happen. This was not something Raven was comfortable with. That didn't stop the fleeting moment of disappointment. Robin pushed it aside and walked the rest of the way to his room, planning to do a little Slade studying before turning in. The rest of the team was convinced Slade had more or less given up, and Robin had learned not to mention him. But Robin knew that Slade was still out there, still scheming. Robin snapped out of his musings the moment he opened the door to his room. Kid Flash stood next to his bed, arms crossed, face scowling.

"We need to talk, Dick." The speedster stated. Robin bit back a sigh.

"About what, Wally?" Robin said, putting a careful emphasis on his real name. Kid Flash tensed for a moment before relaxing, or at least going back to what he was before.

"This Justice League interference you mentioned." The second fastest man alive retorted. "Jinx knows something is going on, and I don't like keeping secrets from her. But you need to tell me everything before I can fix this." Robin closed the door to his room, closing his eyes to remind himself what Wally knew.

"Superman thinks the Titans are getting too big and too powerful to be allowed to exist without the Justice League dictating what we do." He said carefully. "He's trying to convince the League to put us under supervision, and he's targeting Cyborg, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and me as the ringleaders. Since I lead the team, the blame goes to me. Batman was my mentor until I ran away. Technically, he's still my legal guardian. Therefore, Batman is responsible for the actions of every Titan and honorary Titan. That's Superman's reasoning at least." Robin stopped to rub his mask, the smooth leather soothing against his face.

"What's Superman going to do about us?" Kid Flash asked, face morphing into a frown.

"For now he's putting Batman on trial," Robin said. "If Batman is found guilty I don't know what he'll do. But you remember what happened last time, right?" Kid Flash didn't say anything, but Robin could hear him gulp. Neither of them had been in training when Superman and Batman first clashed, but their mentors had told them about it. The Justice League had nearly disintegrated into all out civil war. Superman and Batman managed to make amends, but some leaguers had been afraid of one or the other starting another conflict ever since.

Robin became Batman's apprentice when he was eight, but the League hadn't known about him until he was twelve. When they found out, the league had been enraged. Kid Flash had started fighting crime later that year, but the League had almost prohibited Flash from training him because of the uproar over Robin. Aqualad and Speedy joined them as apprentices a few months later. The four of them used to train together every once in awhile, and in a way they were friends. Robin and Kid Flash were particularly close.

But after Robin left, he didn't see or contact any of them until he had met Aqualad at the bottom of the ocean; the Atlantian had pretended not to know him. Now the four were Titans, but Robin guessed the others hadn't forgotten how Robin left them. In a way, Robin knew he was responsible for the other three leaving their mentors and striking out on their own. Robin had always been first among them. Kid Flash snapped him out of his reverie.

"Why did you come to me?" KF asked. "You never look for help?"

"If the League breaks up into civil war, they'll be forced to choose between Batman and Superman." Robin said. Wally continued to glare at him for a moment before understanding dawned on him. Flash would stay out of the conflict until he had absolutely no choice but to fight for one or the other. And when he chose…

"Flash will back Superman." Wally said, his eyes fixed on some horrible future. "Green Arrow will side with Batman. Aquaman will side with Superman. And if the League gains control of the Titans…" Robin nodded. The original four sidekicks would be pitted against one another.

"We have to tell Garth and Roy," Wally said.

"I don't trust this kind of information to the communicator anymore, not since the Brotherhood of Evil." Robin told him. "And I don't want any of the other Titans to know yet; they'll just panic, and we don't know for sure if it'll come to that. It didn't last time."

"I can make to Steel City in a few hours." Kid Flash assured him.

"Go tomorrow night," Robin suggested. "I'll cover for you." Kid Flash nodded tensely.

"What about Jinx?" Robin sighed.

"Tell her what you need to." He relented after a moment. Kid Flash nodded, sensing the hidden message within the statement, and left, vibrating through Robin's walls. Robin remembered when that used to give him nosebleeds.

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Raven allowed herself a small smile on her way to her room. Not exactly perfect and nowhere near normal, but it could have gone far worse. And she had gone on a date, with Robin, in public (mostly), without destroying anything. It fell just short of a miracle.

"Well, well, back from your little date with the Boy Wonder." Jinx leaned against Raven's door, feral pink eyes half closed in a smug smile.

Of course. Something. HAD. To. Ruin. It.

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked, trying to play dumb. Jinx rolled her eyes.

"Please, you and Robin sneak off together while the rest of us are at dinner, then you walk in at midnight _smiling_." Jinx shook her head. "There's no other explanation."

"Really? You couldn't rack your brain for another explanation. Like maybe Robin wanted to check out a Slade lead, and I followed to make sure he didn't kill himself." Raven retorted. Jinx smirked.

"So how was your date?" She asked.

"I wasn't on a date with Robin." Raven insisted, careful to keep her monotone. She felt her hair swirl around her head, and a faint cracking resounded from outside the Tower. Jinx grinned like a Cheshire cat. Crap.

"What?" Raven snapped.

"Spill." The other sorceress demanded. Raven restrained the urge to groan. "Raven, I went through the same thing with the H.I.V.E. Five and Kid Flash. Just tell me. I'm not going to stop until you do." Raven briefly debated what to do before admitting defeat. But Jinx was going to pay for this.

Raven lunged, turning into an immense Black Raven as she did so. She encased Jinx in her ethereal form and flew through the tower to the roof. As she emerged through the roof, Raven let Jinx pass through her new form onto the volleyball court before landing and assuming her normal form. A shivering Jinx glared at her.

"Stop doing that! I'm not your enemy anymore, remember?" The pink-haired girl complained.

"Knowledge comes at a price," Raven responded darkly.

"Fine, tell: what's going on with you and the little bird?" Jinx asked sharply. Raven sighed and held her forehead, trying to calm her emotions. She was glad she had meditated earlier.

"Come on, Raven." Jinx said in a less hostile tone. "Maybe I can help." Raven was surprised by the honesty behind the statement. She took a deep breath and plowed straight into it.

"Robin helped me with a problem a little over a week ago." Raven started.

"What problem?" Jinx pressed. Raven delayed answering.

"I was having…nightmares." She admitted. Jinx began sputtering with laughter. Raven grabbed her arm and willed for her to experience one of her earlier nightmares. The smile vanished from Jinx's face. "I was having those every night for three months. I could barely meditate during that time." Jinx started to apologize, but Raven wasn't interested. She wanted this over with.

"Robin helped me with the nightmares. Then a villain showed up, one Robin knew personally from a long time ago. I helped Robin deal with him. We were sent to the hospital and kissed while we were in there. We talked later, and I demolished the gym. The night you came to the tower I had my worst nightmare ever. Robin came to see what was wrong and spent the night with me. Now his old mentor is being tried for fake crimes Robin committed and Batgirl, his oldest friend who he never even mentioned, is staying with us until his mentor is acquitted, which might never happen. Tonight we went on our first date. That boy drove along the edge of a bridge at hundred twenty miles an hour to my favorite coffee shop, which erased all thought from his brain. Then we saw a movie and watched the city lights from this cliff out in the forest. That's it." Raven took a deep breath. she wasn't used to talking so much or so fast. "Can I go now?"

Jinx stared at her, pink eyes huge.

"Robin spent the night with you?" she echoed. Raven nodded. "You two-"

"No!" Raven yelled. "No, we didn't. Trust me, nothing happened." The corner of Jinx's mouth twisted up.

"Bet you wish you had," she teased. "I mean, if Robin's that good with a bo staff-" Jinx stopped when Raven reared ten feet above her head, dark tentacles lashing out from beneath her cloak, four glowing red eyes bathing her pale face in bloody light. Raven reigned in Hatred, reverting back to her normal form.

"Er, I'll stop." Jinx said quietly. Raven tilted her head. After a moment Jinx spoke up again, and Raven felt more sympathy coming from the other sorceress than she could have expected.

"Look, when I started dating Kid, it was rough. I was still in the H.I.V.E. and my team had just joined the Brotherhood of Evil. So I know what it's like to be in a confusing secret relationship." Jinx stared Raven in the eye. Wide purple eyes met slit-pupil pink ones. "If you ever want advice, come and find me. And I swear I won't tell." Raven sighed and walked to the edge of the roof. She and Robin had spoken here as the sun rose on the last day of eternity.

"Why did you choose him?" she asked without turning, choosing instead to face the city skyline. "Why did you choose to be with Kid Flash and leave everything else you knew behind?" Jinx walked to stand next to Raven, eyes fixed on the horizon.

"Because he saw something in me no one else did," she said in an almost reverent tone. "Because he went to more trouble than anyone else ever had for me based on a feeling in his heart or gut or whatever. Kid Flash took chances no one else was willing to for me. So I took a chance on him." Jinx looked at Raven and smiled. "And you know what? It paid off."

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On an island in the warm tropical sea, four people walked in the isles between large wooden crates, stacked as if ready for shipment. The noise of the adjourning factory was noticeable but not overwhelming in the vast storeroom.

"You factory is quite impressive, mister Bane." Lex Luthor commented. A muscular man in a black muscle shirt, black pants, and a white and black mask turned to look at the richly dressed executive.

"Gracias, Luthor. I have worked quite hard to get it to this point. Which is why I do not like having my product removed from the market." Luthor smiled benevolently at the larger man.

"Don't worry, Bane. Soon you're marvelous venom will be enhancing every minion, henchman, and underling in our army." Luthor assure him.

"And then we'll be able to go mono-a-mono with every member of the Justice League." Sportsmaster added form Luthor's right. Bane smiled at him.

"Si, senor Sportsmaster. Only fools rely on robots and automatons. Men can push themselves, men can think, and men on Venom can crush their enemies like little bugs." Bane paused to shout rapid instructions in Spanish at a couple of men carrying crates of Venom on forklifts.

"Some of us already can," Sportsmaster stated. A fist flew toward him. Sportsmaster pulled Bane in the direction of the punch, but Bane rolled Sportsmaster with him and hurled the assassin down the isle. Sportsmaster whirled to face Bane with fists raised, but Bane simply brushed off his shirt and laughed.

"We are both strong men, senor, even without my Venom. Though I would not like to fight you for real without it." Bane yelled at one of his men, who quickly ran over with a pair of chilled beers in hand. Bane took the beers and dismissed the man. He opened both bottles and took a sip from each. Sportsmaster watched Bane carefully, but Bane swallowed both mouthfuls. "I know how touchy assassins can be about accepting drinks."

Bane grinned and tossed one beer to Sportsmaster, who caught it without spilling a drop. Sportsmaster smirked beneath his face guard.

"I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership." Sportsmaster said, taking a sip of the beer. Bane laughed and continued to walk. Lex Luthor fell half a step behind the two stronger men, still smiling.

"Where are you off to next, Senor Luthor?" Bane questioned. Luthor motioned for Mercy to come beside him. Luthor's personal bodyguard jogged up from her place two paces behind him and handed Luthor a file. Luthor flashed her a smile and opened the file.

"Ah, yes. After our little tour I'm off to see Count Vertigo in Vlatava, then Queen Bee in Bialya, and finally Ra's al Ghul on Infinity Island. After that, I must head back to Lex Corp. for a business meeting." Luthor sighed. "Such is the price one must pay for power." Bane drained his beer and tossed the bottle to one of his men.

"Then let us finish our little tour, so that busy men may go on with their lives, si?"

I don't know when I'll be able to update again, so please review!


	17. Battles of a Different Feather

Sorry this took so long, life is really beating the crap out of me. As always, I will edit this chapter further in a few days. And **JuneGrayson** mentioned that Raven has less control over her powers than in the series. I did that because this is Raven pushed to her limit by the nightmares and stress, not because she's weak or girly, which she isn't. As many of you may have guessed, this story is just getting started: there are many, many more chapters to come, it's more like a novel really. If any of you don't like this, tell me. If you do like it, also tell me. Well, on with the show!

Raven stood on the tower roof, watching the sunrise. She had scarcely laid her head on the pillow before Malchior's laugh filled her skull. Raven had retreated to the roof to meditate with only small success. As the first rays of light turned black to the dark blue of her cloak and Raven's outline melted into the sky, a familiar aura brushed against hers. Raven didn't acknowledge Robin's presence as the Boy Wonder stood next to her. Robin remained quiet, watching the sun until the top of the golden disk showed above the horizon.

"What did you dream about?" Robin asked without looking at her. Raven took down her hood but kept watching the sun.

"There's more than a few things I need to talk to you about first." She replied, voice void of feeling. Raven felt Robin's gaze trained on her, but she refused to face him. She hated what she was doing. She had no right to pry into his life or secrets. It betrayed her trust in him and his in her. But she had to know. Before this could go any further, she had to know.

"Like what?"

"Let's start with Batman. Or should I say Bruce Wayne?" Robin's shock slammed into the wall she had built over their bond, rattling her mind, but Raven stood firm.

"How did you-"

"It wasn't hard. Bruce adopted you as a son; so did Batman. Batgirl said I'd get along great with Bruce. Not Batman, Bruce." Raven didn't waste her time elaborating.

"You heard that?" Robin asked. His thoughts were still chaotic, swirling around in a panic.

Raven didn't dignify the comment with a response. Robin sighed.

"Yes, it's true." He said in a resigned voice. "I wanted to tell you, but Batman, Bruce, needs to stay secret, and it's a big point for him-"

"I understand the importance of secrecy, Robin." Raven cut him off. "I'm making sure that I know who we are dealing with. Just like I need to make sure there's nothing you're hiding from me in the Red-X vault." Another wave of surprise hit her. Raven didn't flinch.

"Why were you trying to open the Red-X vault?" Robin inquired.

"While you were gone Beast Boy tried to open it. He pointed out that you wouldn't lock an empty vault. I thought asking you was better than opening it myself. And don't try to play dumb, Robin. Red-X isn't something you can get away with." She added sharply. Robin's guilt and anger struck her like two fists to the gut. Raven was immobile.

"I locked the vault so that next time we needed to use it we wouldn't have to reset the security. And I showed the vault to Beast Boy. Ask him if you don't believe me." A twinge of guilt skipped across their bond, but Robin was telling the truth, much like when Robin talked about Bruce in the medical ward.

"Is there anything in the vault that counts as a weapon?" Raven asked, monitoring her leader closely. Robin hesitated; Raven could feel his internal debate.

"Yes." He chose the truth. "But it can't be used against any of the Titans, Slade, Two Face, or anyone else you know. It can only hurt one being on the planet." Another truth. Raven waited, debating whether or not to press him further. Her natural inclination won out.

"Alright." She said. It wasn't her place to probe his secrets. "I had to be sure."

"Red-X was a mistake, and I promised never to do it again. Don't you trust me?"

"Yes." Raven's answer was immediate. She drew he cloak a little tighter around herself. "But there's a lot going on that you're keeping secret from the team and from me." Robin shuffled his feet on the roof. Raven waited for him to leave. She knew what she did was wrong, but she had to know. Robin sighed and muttered something about how he must have lost his mind and this would come back to bite him.

"You know about the Justice League, right?" Raven nodded mutely. "Remember what Catwoman said about Superman putting Batman on trial? Superman has an old grudge against Bruce. He doesn't like the Titans gaining influence and wants to put us under League authority. If Batman is found innocent, we'll be fine. If he's found guilty, then we have to worry." Robin fell silent for a moment. Raven could feel his determination like a mountain: solid and unyielding. "I'm not going to panic the team when there's a good chance that nothing will happen." She already knew most of this from their earlier conversations, but now she had the full picture.

"You told Kid Flash," Raven reminded him.

"His old mentor is a member of the Justice League. He had a right to know." Robin said. The silence between them was tense, Robin's bitterness and hurt flowing between them. "Is the inquisition over now?"

"Nearly." Raven assured him. For the first time she turned to face the Boy Wonder's scowling features. She kept her own face blank. "Where do we stand now?" Robin's surprise hit her for a third time.

"I, I thought we were, well, a couple now." Robin stuttered. Then his expression grew hard. "Unless you don't trust me anymore." Raven didn't feel like explaining what she did not fully understand. Raven swept aside the defenses she had built over her bond with Robin, allowing him to feel her indecision, her guilt at prying into his life, her faith in him, her personal demons and the whisperings of her dreams which eroded at her sanity and demanded that she seek answers (though she blocked Malchior's name from his mind). Raven forced Robin to feel her relief at his honesty, making sure he knew that she trusted him.

When she had finished and rebuilt the barriers in her mind, Robin wore the stupid expression of one who was just hit with a shovel and wasn't expecting it.

"If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have gone out with you." Raven intoned, keeping inflection out of her voice.

"Ah, right." Robin said, blinking and shaking his head. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Idiot." She muttered, but this time she permitted a touch of affection to creep into her voice. Robin grinned. Raven looked down. "Are we still a couple?" She asked hesitantly, suddenly nervous that her momentary doubt pushed him away. A gloved hand grabbed her hand. Raven looked up into the masked eyes.

"Of course," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. Raven checked the surge of energy that briefly rose in her hand.

"So, what do couples do?" She asked. Raven didn't want to admit it, but nearly everything Robin and Starfire had done as a couple disgusted her. Robin shrugged.

"We can do whatever we want." Raven narrowed her eyes.

"No nicknames." She warned.

"I can't call you Rae anymore?" Robin asked, teasing.

"Nothing other than Rae or Raven." She amended. Robin laughed. "And don't interrupt me when I meditate."

"I don't want to be set on fire." Robin asserted. Raven chuckled softly. "So when do we tell the others?" The laughter died in her throat. Raven withdrew her hand from Robin's and turned away, pulling her hood up to cover her face.

"I'd rather not tell them just yet," she said. "Could we…just wait a bit first?" Robin put a hand on her shoulder. Raven could sense his anxiety. "We will tell them," Raven promised. "But for now I want to keep this between us. Please." Robin turned her to face him.

"Of course we can wait," he assured her. "For now we'll keep it between us. It'll be our little secret." Raven smiled slightly.

"I like this secret," she admitted, drawing a chortle from Robin. Robin smiled at her, tilting his head like she was a fascinating puzzle he couldn't figure out. Raven felt her usual displeasure at being looked at, yes, but those masked eyes made her feel cherished as well, special. The confliction made Robin's next actions more difficult to react to.

Robin moved toward her slowly, placing his left hand on her right hip. Raven allowed him to advance, watching him studiously through narrowed eyes. Robin maintained a small smile as he slid his left arm around her waist, his limb moving with the slow, sinuous, muscular grace of a python to her other hip, pulling himself closer to her. Robin's right hand pulled down her hood gently, making Raven feel suddenly small. But as his right hand traveled down her back, she glanced up and realized she was nearly eye-level with Robin.

"Watch yourself," Raven warned him, teasing as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I bite before I bark." Robin grinned.

"Then let's get some breakfast before I cross any lines," he suggested.

Deep in the plains of Nevermore, Passion purred in triumph.

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That afternoon Robin and Raven sat on the couch together. Raven was reading while Robin played a pointless video game with Beast Boy. Kid Flash leaned against the couch nearby to play winner. Cyborg was busy tweaking the flat panel display computers, and Starfire and Batgirl were playing poker with Jinx. Raven hadn't expected Batgirl to suggest it, but from what she gathered from the corner of her eye Robin's childhood friend was good, miles ahead of Jinx and Starfire, especially Starfire. Fortunately they weren't playing for real money. The normalcy of the situation was comforting.

"Yeah, new high score!" Robin cheered. Robin's previous high score flashed on the screen only to shatter and be replaced by his new high score. Beast Boy moaned, and Cyborg applauded. Raven rolled her eyes. Boys. She returned to her book only to interrupted by another, rougher voice.

"Good to see you're having fun while you still can, kids." Surprise punched Raven's brain like one of Cinderblock's fists, but it was nothing compared to the solid wave of fury that struck simultaneously. Raven placed her book down and stood up. Grinning down at her from the screen was a dichotomy of ruined flesh and handsome features.

"Two Face!" Robin growled. "What do you want?" Two Face grinned. His coin rose on and off the screen at a steady pace, alternately flashing its pure and marred facet.

"You mean you can't guess, Boy Blunder?" Two Face mocked. "If you want to find out, just walk up and ask me nicely. I'm at Gemini Bank. I'll wait for no more than twenty minutes." The screen went dark.

"Uh, ok, who was that, and why was he on your TV?" Kid Flash asked.

"And what happened to his face?" Jinx asked.

"His name's Two Face," Batgirl said as she ran to a computer beneath the TV and began typing frantically. "Me and Robin used to fight him with Batman in the old days." A map of the city appeared on the screen. The map zoomed in on Gemini Bank and neighborhood within a three-block radius of it. "So predictable," Batgirl muttered. "There's another Gemini Bank in Gotham. It was one of the first places he hit when he turned to crime."

"Alright y'all, listen up," Cyborg said loudly. "We're not letting a pair of gingers and some guy with a quarter beat us again. We got to hit him, and hit him hard. And don't try to take him down yourself again Robin. Robin?" Everyone looked around. Robin had already left. Raven mentally slapped herself. She had forgotten to make sure Robin wouldn't run off without them.

"Titans, Go!" Cyborg shouted.

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Fortunately Cyborg drove over the speed limit this time, so they arrived at the bank at the same time Robin did. Kid Flash had raced ahead to run alongside Robin. Raven, Jinx, Batgirl, and Cyborg ran out of the car as Beast Boy and Starfire landed.

"I get the bike on the way home," Batgirl called. Raven glared at her. Cyborg opened his mouth to say something, probably an indignant remark on behalf of his car, but Robin interrupted.

"I don't care what you have to do, but don't let him escape." Robin ordered. Robin charged into the building, Raven following close behind. The Titans burst into the bank and ran halfway across the lobby before Robin stopped dead, the other fanning out behind him. Two Face sat behind the teller's desk in the center of the room, smirking.

"You took long enough getting here," Two Face remarked. "I was beginning to think I had scared you off."

"You're the one who should be scared, Two Face." Robin spat. "It's eight against three now."

"Don't you know how to count, Bird Boy? The score is seven to one now." Two Face ridiculed. Raven frowned. She looked up and down the line of heroes. Batgirl was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where's- ow!" Beast Boy yelped as Raven nudged him in the ribs. If Two Face didn't know Batgirl was with them, it could work to the Titans' advantage. She glared along the line of her team, letting them know to keep quiet. The others caught on quickly, but Two Face was starting to frown. He knew something was up. Fortunately Cyborg caught his attention.

"So what? Seven to three is just as bad." Cyborg's right arm expanded into a sonic cannon, which he aimed directly at Two Face. The split features smirked again.

"Again, it's seven to one, kiddies. You should finish kindergarten before playing in the big leagues." Just then Raven noticed Two Face's henchmen were absent.

"Where're your lackeys, Two Face?" Robin demanded. The smirk widened.

"They're getting away from those matching office building as fast as they can," came the rasping response. "Those two steel needles on opposite sides of the city." Raven had a mental image of the two new office buildings, built while the Titans were away fighting the Brotherhood of Evil. Raven had known they would become the center of trouble.

"Me and Kid Flash will get the bombs, you guys take care of Two Face," Cyborg shouted. Kid Flash put his goggles over his eyes as Cyborg turned to run.

"No," Raven said. "We can't split up. That's how he beat us last time."

"Raven's right," Robin growled. "We need to finish him here and now." Two Face grinned from ear to ear and raised both hands above his head.

"It's alright, I surrender." He said the last two words louder and clearer than he had spoken earlier. Dread trickled an icy rivulet down Raven's spine.

"Sorry, Two Face, not buying it. Not again." Robin said. "Titans-" Robin's next words were cut off by the blare of gunfire. The portrait on the right side of the room was ripped to pieces as machine guns tore the canvas apart from the other side. Raven was so surprised that she wasn't able to focus fast enough, and metal hail slashed through their line before she could erect a shield. While the goons clambered out of their hiding place and fired at her shield, Raven inspected her comrades.

Kid Flash took multiple bullet wounds to his right leg and a few to the left. The speedster cried out and fell to the floor. Jinx managed to do an acrobatic flip out of the way, but she collided with the low ceiling and fell with a stumble. A single bullet grazed her hip and she winced. Cyborg took a dozen rounds to the chest about where his heart was. The half-robot yelled and dropped to his knees. He stood up almost immediately and gingerly felt his tattered chest piece. Starfire took two bullets in the arm, but she was still flying and didn't seem to be in much pain. The wounds weren't bleeding much, and Raven hoped that the Tamaranean's tough physiology had reduced the damage. Beast Boy had morphed into a frog during the fight and escaped unharmed, but the changeling seemed frozen by shock.

"Kid Flash!" Jinx cried. She grabbed her boy friend's leg, and he screamed. Jinx looked up at Raven wildly. "Can you heal him?" Raven knelt next to Kid Flash and held her hands over the wounds. A black halo surrounded her hands. Slowly his flesh and bone regrew. Raven held her hands over him until the skin covered the damage beneath. Kid Flash tried to get up. He slipped and fell to the floor, a cry of pain hissing through his clenched teeth.

"Why did you stop?" Jinx demanded.

"The bullets smashed his bones to splinters and shredded his muscles." Raven intoned. "It'll take me a long time to heal him. I'll finish it up when he get back to the Tower."

"Do you ever get tired of playing Doctor?" Two Face inquired, flipping his coin casually. Jinx growled and raised her hands to cast a hex, but Cyborg and Starfire stood in her way, each pointing their glowing right arm at Two Face. Beast Boy morphed back to human. Robin drew three exploding disks from his suit. Two Face grinned. His hands crossed his chest, plunging into the opposite sides of his suit. Cyborg, Starfire, and Robin fired simultaneously.

The desk exploded in cloud of vapor and sawdust. For a moment no one moved. Then two shots rang out. Cyborg cried out as a bullet entered his arm through the center of his sonic canon. At the same time Starfire fell to her knees, clutching her stomach. A gray shape came out if nowhere and kicked Two Face hard enough for the sound to echo in the low-ceiling room. Two Face fell to the floor, moaning, as Batgirl swiftly hand cuffed him. Two Face's goons succeeded in shooting their way through Raven's shield just then and turned their guns on Batgirl.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

The machine guns shattered. Jinx fired a wave of hexes and knocked them into the wall. Beast Boy snapped out of his daze at that moment and turned into a Utahraptor. Robin stalked over to Two Face.

"It's over," he growled. Robin emitted hatred ten times as ferocious as anything he had ever felt for Slade- hate directed at Two Face and himself. Two Face grimaced, blood bubbling from his mouth and broken jaw.

"Now you fools, now!" he gurgled. Raven turned to his redheaded lackeys in time to see them plunge syringes of reddish-orange liquid into their forearms. Their muscles began swelling, and the bruises left by Jinx's hexes faded. In second they were more than twice their normal size.

One goon ran for Jinx, arms crossed over his face, and this time her hexes only slowed him down. The sorceress was forced to back-flip out of the way as the muscle-bound man charged after her. The other barreled for Batgirl, Robin, and Two Face. Raven raised the concrete foundations to make a box around him, but the stone walls were smashed to pieces. Beast Boy leapt at him, slashing claws stretching for the man's flesh, but was grabbed by the head and flung aside.

"Azarath Metrion Zin-oooffff," Raven's incantation was muffled by Beast Boy's crushing weight falling on her stomach. The changeling reverted back to human form soon after impact, but Raven was having trouble catching enough breath to finish her mantra. Robin and Batgirl engaged the second ginger, and at first it looked like they would win.

The goon threw three punches, all of which missed. Robin landed four fists and two kicks to his head, while Batgirl managed to hit him five times in the chest and kick him three times. But soon the goon got lucky. He grabbed Batgirl by the leg and swung her into Robin, hurling both of them across the room before ripping the handcuffs off Two Face. Two Face stood, rubbed his wrists, and surveyed the battlefield.

"Now Grundy!" He shouted. The building shook. Raven turned. Starfire and Cyborg had the first goon backed against the wall. The Tamaranean's eyes glowed, charging a starbolt, when a gray fist the size of a freezer smashed through the wall and sent her reeling. The goon punched Cyborg while he was distracted, and a gray humanoid figure, more than four times the size of a normal man, smashed aside the rest of the wall. Beast Boy stood, rubbing his head, and morphed into a mammoth.

"BAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRR!" The newcomer shouted. The fight continued.

Beast Boy charged at the gray man, who seized him by the tusks and hurled him aside. Raven hurled a chunk of stone at the second thug, who caught it and hurled it back at her. Raven flew to the right. Robin drew both bo staffs and ran for Two Face, Batgirl half a step behind. Two Face drew his guns and fired, not at Raven, but at Robin, who fell to the ground with a cry, blood spurting from both kneecaps. The second thug barreled toward him.

Batgirl kicked the second goon in the face, knocking out a tooth. She threw a small pellet in his face, and a cloud of greenish gas came out. The goon staggered, but remained standing until Batgirl threw another pellet in his face, which exploded. The goon fell to his knees. Raven smashed a pair of desks over his head, and Batgirl hit him over the head with a trio of roundhouse kicks. The goon collapsed like a sack of bricks.

Two Face shot Batgirl in the shoulder, and she rolled behind a desk, leaving a trail of blood behind. Raven summoned a wall of energy and threw it at Two Face. The wall passed through the barrels of the guns, slicing them off. Two Face tossed the guns aside and glared at her. Raven was about to finish him, when a cry distracted her.

The other lackey had ripped off Cyborg's left arm and hit him with it. Starfire grabbed him and punched him three times in the head. She drew back her arm for a fourth punch when the gray man grabbed her arm and threw her on the ground. He smashed his fist into her, and his tree trunk arm plunged through the concrete up to his shoulder. Starfire didn't get out. Raven fired a burst of black energy at him. The gray man roared and hurled a column at Raven. She seized it with her powers and threw it back. The gray man caught it, and the two began wrestling over the stone. Pink magic slammed into the gray man's face, and he fell with the column on top of him.

The gray man jumped up and threw the column, not at Raven, but at Robin. Batgirl was kneeling next to Robin, trying to bind his knees as the stone sailed for them. Raven summoned her powers and froze the column. Batgirl threw a batarang at the gray man, and Raven threw the column. Raven flew to Robin's side, ignoring the roar of frustration and faint hissing of magic from across the room.

"I'll take care of him, now go!" she ordered. Batgirl glanced between Robin, Raven, and the gray man before her eyes hardened. She nodded and ran to join the fight. Raven held her hands over Robin when a fist slammed into her skull, knocking her aside. A foot struck her in the ribs, taking away her breath. Raven tried to roll aside, but the foot pursued her. She tried to phase out through the floor, but a hand snatched her cloak and dragged her back before smashing into her cheek and releasing her. Raven fell to the floor, groaning.

"Az-Azarath, Metrion-" A hand covered her mouth.

"You're the real problem on this team," Two Face growled, his disgusting face looming over Raven's. The left side of his mouth drooled onto her cheek and cloak. His hand clamped on her throat. Raven could feel her lungs struggling to draw in air. Two Face smiled evilly over her. A silver slash preceded Two Face's cry of pain. Raven's breath rattled in her throat. She stared in shock.

Robin staggered toward Two Face, bo staff in both each hand. Tears streamed down his face and blood down his legs. Two Face stumbled back as Robin rapped the staffs against his arms, legs, ribs head, whatever was in reach.

"Don't you _dare_-" Robin half growled, half sobbed as he staggered after Two Face on his mangled limbs. Two Face ducked a swing and punched him in the gut. Robin fell back and cracked a staff across Two Face's calf. Two Face hopped back and Robin crawled up, gasping in pain.

Raven drew in a shaky breath to help, but once more a cry distracted her. Batgirl flew across the room to smash into the wall. She crumpled to the floor, leaving a prefect impression in the wall. Raven turned to see Jinx standing over Kid Flash, frantically firing hexes at the gray man. Beast Boy charged the gray man in the form of a gorilla, but three blows to the head, and Beast Boy dropped unconscious, human once more as the gray man continued his charge for Kid Flash and Jinx. Kid Flash reached up to grab weakly at his legs. The gray man grabbed them both by the neck and raised them up, grinning in a mix of stupid and evil. Raven was torn. Fortunately she was saved from having to choose.

A black streak cut across her vision. The gray man screamed as a whip cracked across his eyes. He dropped Jinx and Kid Flash, the former landing easily while the latter crashed to the floor with a cry. Catwoman landed lithely between Jinx and the gray man.

"BAD KITTY!" The gray man roared. He tried to grab Catwoman, and she leapt aside, striking him in the ear with her whip as she did so.

"I'll hold him off, grab your boyfriend and go," she commanded. Jinx looked at Raven. Raven hesitated only briefly before nodding. Jinx supported Kid Flash and limped away from the fight. Catwoman leapt around the gray man, cracking her whip and dancing out of his reach with undeniable grace. Robin cried out behind Raven, and she turned in time to see Two Face smash his foot down on his neck. Passion and Hatred seized joint control of Raven in that moment, and a massive surge of power flooded her veins, enough to make her entire body burn with energy and magic coil from her skin.

Raven turned to Two Face and grabbed him with a black talon. She threw him across the room, and he rolled into a column. The gray man screamed as Catwoman retracted long claws and slashed them across his biceps and face. Two Face stood and looked around the room. He patted the column next to him, and the gray man smashed it aside. Dust rained from the ceiling and the room shook.

"You take yours, and we'll take ours," Two Face called, a threat lacing his words. The gray man scooped up the unconscious goons, who were slowly shrinking back to normal size, and all four ran for the hole in the wall. Raven wanted to follow, but her friends were three seconds away from being crushed to death. Robin needed her. She couldn't let him, them, die

Raven dissolved her physical body into her soul-self, enlarging into a monolithic astral raven. She encased her friends and Catwoman into her new form and flew out of the collapsing building, stone and plaster sinking through her harmlessly. She landed and resumed her normal form on the sidewalk across the street from what was once the bank. Her friends and Catwoman emerged on the sidewalk moments later, shivering and disoriented.

Catwoman started at the sound of sirens and sprinted away, vanishing into the shadows after the first few silent steps. Three police cars pulled up next to Raven. A deputy climbed out and ran to her, eyes wide and donut powder clinging to his chin.

"What happened here?" He demanded. "And what's wrong with your friends?" Before Raven could answer Jinx stumbled up, panting. The pink sorceress opened her mouth to say something, but the deputy pointed his gun at her. "You! You did this, slimy little-"

"Enough." Raven interrupted, using her magic to force the officer's gun in a different direction. "Jinx is a Titan now, and she is not responsible for this. Two Face attacked the bank with a new minion. But that's not what's important right now. You need to send your bomb squad down to the two newest office buildings in town now." Her skin crawled at having to be looked at and be interrogated by this officer, but Robin was hovering somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness as blood loss and pain took their toll. He needed her.

"Why?" The deputy asked, emitting wave after wave of confusion as he lit a cigarette. Raven resisted the urge to puke in disgust, both at the cigarette and his stupidity.

"Because Two Face threatened to blow them up. Now go." The deputy called for the bomb squad on his radio as Raven turned to address Jinx, who looked decidedly crestfallen. "What did you want?"

Jinx started to reply but broke off with a cough. Her lips and hands were stained brilliant red by her saliva. Jinx fell to her knees, wheezing and coughing up blood. Raven fought off the urge to sigh. Her team needed her. She turned to look at Robin. A wave of protectiveness filled her. He needed her. But the others needed her too. Resisting the urge to start healing Robin here and now on the street, Raven once more resumed her soul self and flew toward the tower, carrying her team to the medical ward they needed so badly.

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Two Face limped through the trees, one leg badly bruised and bleeding from the wounds inflicted by shrapnel. Grundy lumbered along behind, his arms a mass of pink welts. His goons stumbled hastily in the wake of the giant, dead on their feet but too scared to ask for aid.

"Come on, the hideout is just a hundred yards further." Two Face urged. Grundy rammed his fist into a pine tree, knocking it aside. "Why'd you do that? You might have given away our position." Grundy glared at him.

"Grundy wants pay. You say we get rich if we do what told. Where's money?" Two Face grinned.

"Don't worry, big guy, you'll get your pay. Why do you think I asked them to meet us at a bank?" Two Face told him. Grundy growled, and Two Face's goons backed away quickly.

"We didn't get any money from bank," Grundy roared. Two Face calmly flipped his coin, smirking at the gray Goliath.

"No, but our newest partner got it for us." As Two Face spoke a river of gray earth and dirt snaked across the ground from the trees behind him. Grundy took a step back as the soil rose twenty feet tall, solidifying into a vaguely humanoid shape. Two Face turned and addressed the figure calmly, still flipping his coin.

"How much did you get, Clayface?" The one time district attorney inquired evenly. Clayface grinned monstrously.

"All of it," he replied. "One and a half million dollars. Split five ways, that comes out to three hundred thousand a-piece." An immense sack slowly oozed its way through the clay chest, like a child emerging from the womb, until it plopped on the ground, soon followed by four others. Two Face stepped back and held out his arms to the bags.

"Don't be shy, boys. You did your part, you get your cut, just like I promised." Two Face said, smugness stamped on his dualistic features. Grundy lumbered over and picked up one dirty, sludge-crusted bag. He peered inside before grinning brutishly at Two Face. Two Face's goons darted over and seized their own bags, their previous exhaustion forgotten.

"Thanks for helping us out back their, Clay," Two Face said as Clayface took his own share of the loot.

"Don't thank me," Clayface said. "Thank the Clown Prince of Crime for convincing me to join you."

"And for recruiting ole Grundy." Two Face added. "And for coming up with that little gem of a plan. Who'd have thought that lunatic would be so useful?"

"But, boss, why didn't we plant any bombs in the towers?" One of his goons asked. Two Face sighed.

"We went over this," he snapped. "It was a diversion. And they won't expect the next stage of the plan thanks to that little ruse. Now come on, we can't start the next stage until we've healed up a little, and it's more than a week til' the next shipment comes in from Santa Prisca."

I know there wasn't a whole lot of Rob/Rae this chapter, but the next one will have more, promise. Until then, everyone, please give me your thoughts!


	18. Birds Love Best At Night

I know this is an earlier update than most of you were expecting, and don't expect another one until at least Saturday. But I was really feeling this chapter so I decided to go with it.

Raven was more tired than she could ever remember being before in her life.

She had been cycling through the Titans, healing each one for a while before moving on to the next while her emotions screamed at her incessantly. For the first forty five minutes after she arrived in the medical ward she had been running around frantically, trying to keep her friends from bleeding to death or going into shock, levitating them onto beds, hooking up IV tubes and drips she had no understanding of, monitoring heart rates and blood pressures, removing bullets and easing pain.

Catwoman had appeared briefly to tell Raven that she had brought back Cyborg's car before vanishing again. Raven was a little angry that she hadn't stayed to help, but without Catwoman at least one of her friends would be dead by now. Still, Raven found that trying to treat seven severely wounded patients at once was a bit much for her.

Batgirl had a serious concussion in addition to the bullet lodged in her shoulder blade. She was sleeping her injuries off in a cot right now, but it had taken Raven half an hour to repair the physical damage and more than an hour to confirm that she did not have lasting mental damage.

One of Jinx's ribs had broken and impaled both of her lungs. The sorceress had faded in and out of consciousness all day, but she cried incessantly while awake about bad luck and all of it being her fault. When enough of the pain had dissipated for her to talk coherently Jinx had demanded that Raven focus on healing Kid Flash until he was completely healed again. Eventually Raven had used her powers to put Jinx in a dreamless sleep. Jinx was slumped over a cot right now, snoring away. Raven heaved her legs into the cot and panted a little. The other girl wouldn't wake until noon the next day. Raven envied her.

Beast Boy had been constantly morphing while Raven worked on him, changing into one animal and switching to another halfway through the transformation. Raven had managed to seal the cracks in his skull and send him to his own room to sleep. She knew she didn't have to worry about him until about three in the afternoon tomorrow when he woke up.

Cyborg had been a little easier to work with. Raven had pulled the bullets from his body and revived him enough for the half-robot to instruct her on how to reattach a new set of arms. Cyborg was able to repair most of the damage inflicted on his metal parts by himself, but afterward he was so drained by lack of power, pain, and exhaustion that he was more of a hindrance than a help, so Raven had sent him to his room to rest. After much arguing a demonic tantrum on Raven's part, he relented.

Starfire had worried her for a while. The Tamaranean had taken multiple bullet wounds, broken her arm, cracked her sternum, and ruptured three of her nine stomachs. Halfway through the healing process Raven had realized that blood was pooling into her skull. Raven had been forced to push her healing skills to the ultimate level to save her life, and even then she had barely saved her friend's life in time.

Raven reached out and held a trembling hand over Starfire's prone form. A weak aura of magic flickered around her fingers briefly before dying. Even that little bit of effort was a struggle. Raven's powers did not have limits in the way that the others' did, but she required focus in order to properly channel her powers. Raven shook her head and nearly fell over. She was too tired to focus her magic. For now Starfire would be fine. Only a few superficial bruises remained. The alien girl would awake in the morning sore but otherwise fine. Raven moved on to Kid Flash.

Kid Flash had been wounded worse than almost anyone else. The bone in his right leg had been reduced to a few scattered splinters, and his muscles had been shredded until only scraps remained fully attached. Overall Raven had spent over three hours on his leg alone, regrowing bones and muscles. The speedster had also suffered a pair of cracked ribs and two fractures in his left leg, neither of which was particularly dangerous. As long as no one disturbed him, he would sleep for a good long while, not peacefully perhaps, but with relatively little pain.

Raven moved on to her final patient, hands quivering as they clutched her cloak to her body. She chose to blame her tiredness. Robin was moaning and muttering, face spasming into tiny scowls as he dreamed. Robin had woken up and passed out randomly throughout the day. Whenever he was awake he would ask to see if she was ok and insist that she heal herself, but he refused to let her heal him until the others were completely better.

Raven had done some work on him whenever he passed out, and he was no longer bleeding, nor for that matter where his knees broken. She had been alarmed to find three stab wounds hidden under his uniform. Apparently Two Face had pulled a small pocketknife on him at some point during the fight. Raven placed a hand on his chest. The wounds were gone, and the blood had been siphoned away.

A part of Raven had been tempted to stay with Robin and not heal the others until he was a hundred percent better, but Raven was not so petty as to abandon her friends. They were almost as important to her, and she knew that to let them die was no better than murder. And Robin would sooner die himself than be the cause of another person's death.

Still, Raven found herself unable to resist summoning the last dregs of concentration and forcing her magic into his body, easing his pain until the bruises faded and skin smoothed over. Raven staggered and gripped the rail of Robin's bed with a shaking hand. She looked over her shoulder.

Kid Flash lay in the bed next to the door, with Jinx in the one immediately next to him and Batgirl Starfire in the beds immediately next to her. Robin was in the bed on the far right of the room, next to the window, leaving two beds in between his and the others. Raven had drawn curtains around the other three beds to give them privacy; they couldn't see her weakness even if they were awake. She had elected not to draw the curtains around Robin's though; something told her Robin would like to have the window to look through if he woke in the middle of the night.

Raven just barely withheld a moan. She was bone tired. She wanted to flop on her bed and sleep for a month, but she also wanted to stay with Robin. Raven glanced at him, softly snoring in his bed. There was nothing she could do now, she reasoned. Logically she should go to her room and pass out. So why was she so reluctant?

Raven gave up trying to reason with herself and forced her protesting body to stumble toward the door. A voice called out to her when she had crossed half the room.

"Did you heal yourself?" Raven turned to see Robin propping himself on his elbows, eyes crusted with sleep beneath the mask, hair rumpled as ever.

"No." she responded. Her own wounds were minor, nothing more than superficial bruises and scratches. They had been only a nuisance when Raven had first started working, but now her whole body had stiffened into a single throbbing mass. Raven would rather take ten bullets to the stomach than admit it. Robin struggled to get up, and Raven was at his side in an instant, pushing him back on the bed with her palms. She didn't have the heart to tie him down earlier, but now she was regretting that particular moment of sympathy.

"You need to heal," Robin admonished, placing a gentle hand around her wrist. Raven scowled weakly.

"I don't have the energy to heal myself until I've rested," she protested, voice a quiet, tired monotone.

"Then sleep," Robin said. Raven sighed.

"I'm too tired to sleep," she muttered after a minute, hating the way she sounded like a petulant little child. Remembering her earlier promise, Raven considered bashing her head against the door until she passed out, but then Robin would hurt himself trying to stop her. And honestly Raven didn't think she had the energy left to do it.

"You should get some rest," Robin urged her. "You'll hurt yourself if you don't." Raven glared at him sullenly for a moment before sighing.

"I'm afraid of what I might dream," she admitted. Only complete and utter fatigue could bring her to confess this to Robin.

"You have to try," he insisted.

Raven opened her mouth to support when Robin hands gripped her legs around her upper thighs and he tugged. At first Raven was too surprised and confused to respond. But after the second tug she regained her wits. Raven was bout to break away and give him a piece of her mind when Robin grunted and heaved her up. Raven wobbled, pitching forward, but a soft hand supported her by the ribs and lower stomach.

Robin lowered her down onto his lap slowly. Raven winced as her tender bruises came in contact with his body, but the warmth he emitted quickly began to ease some of her stiffness. Robin pulled her up a bit so that her head lay on his chest. Both youths were panting from the effort, but Robin tugged her up until her head rested on his collarbone.

"You slept better this way before," Robin said. Instantly Raven drowned in a flood of humiliation as Robin realized how she might have taken his actions. But she could read his thoughts, tired as they both were. Robin wasn't trying to pull anything. He was just an idiot who acted on the first protective impulse that came into his head. Raven placed her hand flat on his shoulder and shocked him with a jolt of energy. Robin started. Raven laid her head down on his chest, refusing to let him know how much it had cost her to perform such a small act of magic.

"You're lucky I like you," Raven murmured. Robin's chuckle was more of a louder breath.

"You have to now that I'm your boyfriend," he teased. Raven shifted, looking his in the eye. Once more she wanted, very badly, to rip off the mask.

"What do you have to do now that I'm your girlfriend?" Raven whispered. The words sounded strange on her lips, alien, almost, but oddly exciting.

"I have to make sure you sleep after you push yourself too hard," he murmured. She smiled ever so slightly and nestled her head against him with a tired sigh.

"Did you ever take a break?"

"Of course not," she muttered. Robin leaned up beneath her, looking first out the window to the night sky and then at the clock above the door across the room. Raven dug her fingers into his uniform, displeased by the way her pillow was unseating her.

"It's one o' clock in the morning," he exclaimed. "You've been working for what, nine hours?"

"Eleven," she muttered sullenly, irritation prickling her faintly through the veil of tiredness. Robin whistled softly.

"Why didn't you rest?" he asked. Raven lifted her head to glare weakly at him.

"Would you have rested?" she demanded. Robin stared at her for a second before smiling ever so slightly and lying back once again. She heard him mutter 'stronger than they give her credit for', and a glow of pleasure kindled inside of her at his quiet praise. Raven resettled herself against him, shifting against his body to get more comfortable. She was too tired to fall asleep and way past the point of caring whether or not her actions were suggestive.

"Just stay still and I'll sleep," She muttered. Robin smiled, pulled her a little closer to him, and pressed his lips against her chakra. Raven was momentarily plunged into his almost equally tired thoughts. She wasn't focused enough to process anything but mutual fatigue, and she complained quietly when she emerged from his mind.

But when Robin wrapped his arms around her and began stroking her hair in long, steady strokes, Raven couldn't help curling closer to him, tiling her face down into his shirt to press his fingers against her head a little more. She couldn't believe that contact, even with Robin, could feel this good, but it was comforting to feel his fingers brush against her ear and caress her purple locks. The little murmurs that drifted past his lips encouraged her to relax against his chest, safe in his arms. A black spark flew from her fingers, but Raven no longer cared.

What she did care about, however, was the other people in the room might do if they woke up and found the two birds sleeping together.

"What about the others?" Raven asked groggily.

"We'll wake up before them," Robin assured her softly. "We always do."

"The window," she reminded him.

"No one can see us from there. It is only us." Raven was about to protest, tell him they'd get caught, but she didn't want to. Robin was warm and present and _here_ in very real and tangible way, so reassuring after the crisis aversion Raven had dealt with that day. Even when he was so weak Robin was willing to comfort her, help her. Raven decided that tonight, just this once, she would let him.

Raven nuzzled against his chest, now familiar to her as he enveloped her in a gentle embrace. She felt more than saw Robin smile and couldn't help but return the gesture in a smaller version. His arms moved languidly across her back, and her muscles twitched as his limb skated over a bruise. Robin jerked his arm back and stilled before continuing his slow massage of her back, hands maneuvering away from her sore spots and alleviating the tension in her body. Raven tried to bend into his touch, but the effort was too much, and she simply closed her eyes and allowed him to hold her. Robin's lips pressed against her head once, twice, thrice, four times, and Raven moaned very softly at the tenderness of his lips and stretched her head forward very slightly to receive his kisses. His mouth fitted exactly over her chakra, and for a nanosecond Raven was swept into the gentle warmth of his emotions. Raven's hands fisted in his shirt as he resumed stroking her hair with one hand. She mewed quietly and slowly drifted off, content to listen to his slowing heart beat as sleep took them both.

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Catwoman sighed and leaned back in her chair. She rubbed her temples and shivered as a draft swept down from the lofty ceiling. Glancing behind her, she saw her babies curled in giant tawny pile of fur. It was sunrise, and they were acting like smart cats and napping. She hugged herself with her arms and got to business. In sixty seconds Alfred's face appeared on the screen, tired but pleasant as ever. Catwoman smiled at him. It was strange how welcoming a figure he had become in such a short time.

"Miss Selina, what an excellent surprise," Alfred greeted her. "How goes your little visit in Master Richard's new found home city?"

"Not so good Alfred," she said regretfully. "Our little bird had a bit of trouble yesterday." Selina described the fight, Grundy, the trap, everything she had seen and everything she had deduced from studying the carnage. "I only wish I'd gotten there sooner." She lamented at the end.

"Well perhaps it's for the best. You might have been attacked by both sides had you arrived while the contention was in full swing. Is Master Richard quite alright?" Selina hesitated. She absolutely hated herself for spying. If someone had done that to her and Bruce she would have fed them to her babies piece by piece. She rubbed her bloody claws, delaying.

"I think he'll recover from the battle soon," she replied, choosing her words carefully. "A young woman by the name of Raven, I think, healed him. But late last night, he, ah, slept with her." Alfred didn't move, speak, or breath for a full four minutes twenty seven and a half seconds.

"Are you saying Master Richard and this Raven-"

"No," Catwoman assured him, nipping the butler's rising tirade in the bud. "After the battle this, Raven, went around healing all of the others with her magic. She didn't finish until very late last night. Robin woke up and spoke with her for a bit. Both of them were swaying, like they could barely keep their eyes open. Then they, ah, climbed into the same cot in the medical ward, and she, er, fell asleep on his chest. Fully clothed," she added. Selina couldn't avoid the claws of guilt, usually such an alien emotion to her.

"He, ah, kissed her head a few times as well." She said. For a split second Selina felt something like concern for Robin. The moment passed, leaving her confused. Alfred seemed to relax marginally.

"Well at least young Master Richard is learning early," the venerable old man said, taking a sip of morning tea. Isis leapt into his lap and pawed at the screen. Selina touched the glass as Alfred stroked her cat's silken pelt.

"It's cheering, actually, seeing Master Richard take after you and Master Bruce," Alfred mused. Selina sighed and placed her chin on her palms.

"But what will Clark do to Bruce if he finds out?" She wondered aloud, trying not to think about it.

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Vandal Savage stood at his desk, watching the recording of the battle from the bank's surveillance cameras. He studied the team closely, face twitching in displeasure. Now the children had three additional soldiers. He could only afford one death. Vandal glanced at his newest recruit out of the corner of his eye. The Joker's influence had once again proven invaluable. Savage didn't think he would have been able to convince this man to join their cause without him. Admittedly this man was not a proper assassin, at least not one on Cheshire or Sportsmaster or Slade's level. But he was stealthy, and the Titans hadn't encountered him. And he was a practiced killer. This man stood the best chance at finishing the job.

"I see the problem," The man nodded as video ended, venomous fangs gleaming delicately as he moved. "Two Face was right; she needs to go." Savage removed the tape and placed his hands behind his back, smiling. This man was professional and too the point, qualities he appreciated.

"Will you accept the assignment, Mister Copperhead?" Savage inquired. Copperhead leaned back in his chair, studying Savage carefully.

"Half a million, right?"

"Half a million American dollars," Savage confirmed. Copperhead stared at the blank screen for a moment.

"She's not big. A five second bite will finish her off in a little over an hour." He guessed. "Then I can collect my payment." Vandal nodded.

"As long as you are not captured by the Bat's two protégés. Greater men than you have succumb to Bat spawn." Copperhead clenched his jaw.

"Believe me, I know."

Any and all [ serious] opinions on this are welcome, but by this point you've all heard me say it so many times I probably don't have to anymore.


	19. A Frozen History Lesson

I'm so sorry it took me so long, I've been absolutely swamped. I'm going to try and publish the next chapter later today, but I'm still really busy so I can't make any promises .

Raven grumbled as the sun shone through her eyelids. She had slept in too late. Raven shifted, and her leg slithered off the bed. She tried to grip the mattress beneath her, and her fingers curled over something hard. Raven opened her eyes.

Robin jerked awake a second later and met her gaze with his mask. At first his stare was confused, but recognition dawned in his eyes, swiftly followed by such genuine delight Raven blushed. He tightened his arms round her, shifting her body farther up his chest. Raven had a brief stab of panic at being moved about, but the lack of aggression in the action, and the increased proximity to Robin's face, abated it swiftly. Her lips curved up, and she tilted her head to study him.

At the same moment Robin leaned in to kiss her it occurred to Raven that they were in a room with four other people and next to a very large window. She jerked away and scrambled off the cot. The leg that had slipped off the bed had gone partially numb, and she stumbled. Robin looked at her in bewilderment. Raven gestured to the other beds, where the beginnings of movement could be detected. Robin nodded reluctantly and swung himself out of bed with an easy grace, long limbs hardly seeming to move as he crossed the distance between them. His mouth touched her cheek fleetingly before he exited the room, clearly healed.

"Hhrrmmmm-MPH!" Batgirl mumbled from her bed. Raven put up her hood and floated toward her patient. Placing a hand on Batgirl's chest, Raven sent her magic into her body, healing the last traces of damage. Batgirl's muscles uncoiled slightly, and she stilled, falling into a marginally deeper sleep. By the time Raven had finished these last minute repairs on the others she could barely think straight. Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had only drunken a single mug of tea yesterday. Raven wasn't particularly keen on eating daily, but without long periods of meditation she had to.

The sizzle and smell of bacon assaulted Raven when she entered the main room. Robin was yawning by the stove as the fat popped, his porcupine hair splayed to the right. Raven drifted into the kitchen and began preparing her tea wordlessly.

"Want some?" Robin asked.

"No." Raven replied bluntly, summoning an apple from the fridge. Robin shrugged, piling strips of heart attack on his plate. Raven sat next to Robin as they ate in silence. She held out her hand, and her book flew to her. Raven picked up right where she left off, translating the Sanskrit writing seamlessly. For a few seconds the peacefulness of the situation was utterly complete.

The doors slid open and Batgirl walked in, yawning.

"Morning," she chirped before starting to fix a pot of coffee. Cyborg's heavy footsteps sounded from the hallway seconds before his arrival. Raven kept her face blank.

Not once. She had not once caught a break.

Within half an hour Kid Flash, Jinx, and Starfire had filed into the main room. While unharmed, there was a general weariness and depression among the team. Yesterday's standoff and subsequent medical procedures clearly still rankled the motley collection of teens. Batgirl stood in a corner, back straight as a broom handle, one leg hitched up to rest the sole of her boot against the wall. Cyborg sat on the couch with his head in one hand. Starfire sat with her head in her hands against the wall. Jinx leaned against the wall in one corner staring out the window. Kid Flash crossed from his place on the sofa to put a hand on her shoulder, but she didn't turn to face him. Raven tried to ignore the gloom souring the air, but she found herself reading the same line for the twelfth time.

The alarm blared red. The middle window panel morphed to a TV screen, the words Call From: Titans East flashing repeatedly. The others looked up, the usual mixture of worry and anger muted by apathy. Robin crossed the room to the computer directly beneath it and pressed a button. Bumble Bee's face appeared on the screen. Raven closed her book and stood up. She had rarely seen the leader of Titan's East look so worried.

"Robin, it's the Brotherhood of Evil, they've escaped." Bumble Bee said without preamble. Robin glared at Cyborg.

"Get Beast Boy. Now." Robin ordered. Cyborg nodded grimly and ran off. Robin faced Bumble Bee. "What happened?"

"We don't know. This morning the relief guards came in, and the previous shift's security were frozen solid. Almost the entire Brotherhood is free." Robin gripped the sides of the computer like he wanted to snap it off its perch. He whirled around, the old fire back in his eyes.

"Titans, Go!"

It took them twelve hours to fly to Steel City. Kid Flash made it there in three, when it was still dark out. By the time they alighted, Bumble Bee and Aqualad were waiting for them on the rooftop-landing pad, their impatience almost palpable in the bitingly cold air as sleet and hail lashed stinging claws against Raven's bare legs each time her cloak loosened. Mos y Menos rushed up the stairs as the Titans disembarked.

"Hola! Qué te tomó tanto tiempo? Niño Flash llegó hace horas." The rapid twins spouted as soon as they ceased moving. Beast Boy stared at them, one fist still rubbing his left eye, before he sighed and grinned.

" 'Sup guys?" he greeted. Raven maintained her dead pan, but the irritation of hearing a language she didn't understand bit her pride.

"Who're you supposed to be?" Bumble Bee asked, raising an eyebrow at Batgirl. Batgirl leapt out of the T-ship easily. The problem of having eight people in a five person craft had become apparent fairly quickly upon entering the hanger. Batgirl had called dibs on Robin's compartment as soon as Starfire proposed the idea of sharing. Raven tried to ignore the biting emotion that harried her like a rabid dog.

"Batgirl. I fought crime with Robin before the Titans." Batgirl said, her voice calm but curt. Raven couldn't help a grudging kernel of respect for the team's newest addition. She didn't trust Batgirl yet by a long shot, but she kind of liked the new girl's attitude. And Batgirl had Robin's approval. That had to be worth something. The rabid dog sank its teeth deeper.

"Where's Speedy and Kid Flash?" Robin interrogated Bumble Bee, . Bumble Bee scowled, and Raven had another moment of clarity in which she saw the striking similarity between Robin and Bumble Bee.

"Speedy was ambushed by Cheshire last night." Bumble Bee snapped. "Kid Flash is with him." Two emotions skipped through their bond from Robin's mind, so close as to be like empathic heartbeats: panic and relief, intermingled but separate in their causes.

"Is he ok?" Starfire asked. Bumble Bee's features warped minutely into a glower.

"He'll be fine, but he seems shaken up. Something's been off with Speedy lately, and when Kid Flash came here with him last night he was really quiet. He didn't even brag about himself."

Raven tried to remember the last time Speedy was quiet or humble.

"We'll worry about Speedy later," Robin said. "Take us to the prison." Bumble Bee set her jaw and nodded, leading the two teams to the heart of steel city.

Raven didn't know exactly what she was expecting when Bumble Bee had said the guards had been frozen, but she definitely hadn't expected this. Jagged pillars of ice stretched from the floor to the ceiling like they were supporting the concrete roof. The pillars branched nearly twelve feet across at the tops and bottoms and tapered off in the middle to a measly five-foot diameter, like stalagmites and stalactites that grew over thousands of years to meet each other. ensnared within each pillar was a human in a brown uniform and Kevlar vest, flashlight and key ring clipped on a leather belt next to holsters for various weapons. Several held handguns or tasers in front of them.

Raven stopped by one to wipe away the condensation that had formed on the outside. A middle aged woman stood encased in the ice, releasing neither emotions nor thoughts nor a heartbeat. A pair of guards from the relief unit was trying to thaw her out by pressing heat pads against the ice.

"We've been trying for hours," one of them said sadly. "Didn't know if we'd hurt her or not if we thawed her too fast, but we never thought it would take this long."

"We can revive them safely with warm water," Robin asserted. Everyone looked at him.

"It worked before," Batgirl said calmly, crossing her arms. "But how long have they been frozen? We're probably too late." Robin frowned, and Raven felt the sharp bite of that as of now still nameless emotion, shark-like teeth digging and slicing into her innards briefly before she pushed it aside. Her comrades were all business right now; she should be too.

"They've been like this for at least twenty-four hours," a guard reported. After a moment Robin and Batgirl moved simultaneously to pull away the heating pads from one of the ice pillars. A guard moved up to stop them, but Robin turned and gripped his arms.

"The best we can do for them now is to honor the lives they lived." He said, his voice sad but edged with steely anger. Raven focused on their bond, feeling her way into his emotions. She could detect shame mixed with a renewed fury, directed at himself and at another figure, some with eerie blue skin and red eyes.

"How many members of the Brotherhood escaped?" Robin asked.

"Everyone except Madame Rogue, Monsieur Mallah, and General Immortus," Bumble Bee said. "The Brain was taken to a secret top-security prison a few weeks ago." Bumble Bee huffed, clearly annoyed, and Cyborg crossed the room to gingerly put an arm around her shoulder. Raven put one-tot-one odds on Bumble Bee stinging him, but the older girl just leaned back a bit, allowing Cyborg to support her with his gargantuan metal bulk. "Don't know where this fancy prison is. Brain might already be free by now."

"No." Robin said. The certainty in his voice made everyone turn to regard him curiously. All but one. Beast Boy stood stock still on the threshold between the entranceway where the guards were frozen and the prison block, rows of empty stands where newer members of the Brotherhood of Evil had stood not long ago. He had not moved from that spot since their arrival at the prison.

"There are only five people in the world who could have done this," Robin said. Batgirl nodded and crossed her arms, leaning against an ice column. To Raven's surprise, Aqualad also nodded, like he knew what they were talking about.

"Mr. Freeze," Batgirl said.

"Killer Frost," Aqualad added.

"Who are the other three?" Bumble Bee asked after a few minutes of quiet. Robin turned narrowed his eyes into dangerously thin lines.

"Ask Kid Flash and Speedy. They were the ones that fought them back in the day." With that Robin turned, cape snapping like a flag on a pole. "There's nothing my team can do here that yours can't, Bee. I'll give you and Cyborg a few hours for your date, and Raven can heal Speedy. Then we're going home." Robin called these instructions over his shoulder as he walked away. The door slammed shut behind him.

"Ooooookay, what crawled up his ass and died?" Bumble Bee asked.

"Robin has been, strange, for a while now," Starfire said. "I fear that something is the matter with him."

"Robin better get his head in the game," Cyborg muttered darkly. "There's a lot of strange stuff goin' on, and we can't afford to have him stomping all over the place."

"He's fine." The room turned to face Aqualad. The Atlantian was staring at the face of a startled guard, trapped in her frozen sarcophagus. He returned their collective gazes with dark, pensive eyes. "He's probably just remembering all the other people he's seen die this way. Just like me." The last part was whispered so quietly Raven wondered if Aqualad had meant to say it all. Aqualad's eyes became unfocused, staring at something no one else could see.

Bumble Bee took out a stinger and zapped him.

"Yo, fish boy, what the _hell_ are you talking about?" Aqualad glared at her, rubbing his elbow ruefully.

"A long time ago Me, Speedy, Kid Flash, and Robin used to train together. We all fought ice villains like the ones that attacked here. Once someone's frozen, you have maybe three minutes to save them, and if the ice shatters, so does the person." Aqualad stared at the ground. "We saw a lot of people die in those days." He said, this time more quiet.

"Why did you not say anything earlier?" Starfire asked.

"Because it doesn't matter."

Raven turned to Beast Boy. The shape shifter hadn't moved, but his voice was just as tough as it had been the last time they faced the Brotherhood of Evil.

"We're Titans now." Beast Boy glared over his shoulder. "We need to move." As the changeling ran past her, Raven couldn't help but feel that he was wrong.

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When they emerged from the T-ship in the Titans Tower hanger, everyone immediately forgot about Steel City and the Brotherhood of Evil. A wave of heat rolled through the usually cool hanger to greet them, and Raven could feel her cloak grow heavier with every passing second.

"What happened here?" Kid Flash asked, eyes wide and hair drooping. Jinx emerged from the back of his seat, arm raised to mop her brow. Sweat stains were already forming on the black material.

"It's a heat wave," Cyborg said, checking a mini-computer in his arm. "Supposed to get stronger later this week." The team moaned and grumbled as they walked inside. Kid Flash suggested they make some lemonade, which was greeted enthusiastically. Raven debated whether or not to make to others discuss what happened in Steel City before they were distracted by the sweet drink, but she completely forgot about the Brotherhood's escape when they walked into the main room to see Silkie attempting to swallow a table whole.

"Silkie, my little bumgorf, no!" Starfire yelped, swiftly flying over to the giant mutant maggot and pulling the slimy table from his mouth. "Did you finish all the food friend Beast Boy gave you?" Silence followed these words for a full forty seconds.

"Oops." Beast Boy said.

"Aw, man," Cyborg moaned. Raven leaned over Robin's shoulder to see Cyborg kneeling in front of a Silkie-sized hole in the wall. "He ate his way through the circuits."

"How soon can you repair the damage?" Robin asked.

"Man, I don't even know what he broke. It could take me days to figure this out. I'll have to go over all the systems to be sure. But before I do any of that, I have a few questions for you." Cyborg stood up and stared down at Robin, massive arms crossed. "You know bout all these new guys we've been fighting. Start talking about Two Face and that gray fat ass that kicked our butts."

Robin scowled for a second, then sighed. He glanced over at Batgirl who shrugged. Robin turned to Raven. She remained motionless. This had to be his decision. He strode to the semi-circle of computers and pulled up two pictures on the center screen, one of Two Face and one of the gray man. "You all have a right to know what you're up against." He said.

"Two Face used to be a district attorney in Gotham by the name of Harvey Dent. Half the cells in Gotham's prison were filled because of him. Then a man named Rupert Thorne splashed acid on the left side of his face after Harvey almost shut down his entire crime ring. Dent had spent most of his life burying any and all expressions of anger. When he saw his face, he thought it had revealed his evil side and became obsessed with the number two. The coin he flips was marred by the acid on one side. If the pure side comes up, he commits a good, or at least neutral act. If the defaced side comes up, he commits an evil act. He has a special taste for threatening to do two evil things, like blow up two buildings, and only follow through on one of them. Everything he does is decided by that coin."

Robin spoke briskly, scowling like he had swallowed something sour. It was painfully obvious that he wanted to get this over with. He didn't mention anything about his family. When his eyes met Raven's, she saw a silent plea there, asking her not to speak. Raven pulled her cloak a little tighter around herself and did not speak or react. She would not give him away. Batgirl likewise did no more than narrow her eyes slightly.

"This is Solomon Grundy, in a few words: nearly mindless, inhumanly strong, and greedy. He is a zombie, a reanimated corpse infused with vegetation from a swamp. He is all but immortal yet unbelievably stupid. He fluctuates between petty thievery and mass murder sprees. At one point he wanted to be a mob boss in Gotham after Thorne, the guy who marred Two Face, went to jail, but Grundy got mad one day and killed every last member of his baby-gang. After that he tried to take on several different heroes around the globe. His most recent defeat was eight years ago: Batman whipped him but never told me how. What he wants now, I don't know."

Robin stared around the room, waiting for questions after this forty-five second presentation. No one moved. Beast boy just stared at him with a vacant expression like everything had gone over his head, but the others just seemed disturbed, whether by the information itself or the way Robin told it to them, like the words were balls of sand paper lodged in his windpipe, Raven wasn't sure.

She noticed Batgirl studying Robin out of the corner of her eye, her expression wistful, like she was remembering the fight she and Robin had shared with these criminals, back when they were partners. Robin's communicator rang, signaling he got a text, but Robin ignored it. Robin sighed and began to walk out.

"Get some sleep. I got the feeling we'll need it." Raven watched him walk past. She sensed his memories churning within. Raven reached out and touched his mind, trying to sooth him with what little comforting feelings she could muster. Robin's mind remained chaotic for a few seconds longer before it calmed somewhat.

The last thought Raven heard before she closed their bond for the night made her smile ever so slightly: _Thanks, Rae_.

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Robin walked silently across the floor of the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. He had waited until he was sure everyone else was asleep before coming here, not because he didn't trust them or want to tell them, but because he didn't want to deal with the drama or explain any more of his history. _Baby steps, _he thought. _Deal with her first, then tell Raven once you know exactly what's going on, tell the others after_. Robin shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. He crept across the vast empty room like a ghost with not a single sound or echo, all of the Dark Knight's training finally blossoming.

It was not enough.

Two lithe shapes landed on either side of Robin, snarling to keep him at bay. Robin drew his bo staffs when a third shape growled behind him. He turned in a circle, trying to watch all three at once. While none of the creatures were attacking, each snapped and swiped at him to keep Robin from moving. A new, deeper growl resounded through the warehouse, a sound so powerful Robin felt it in his trembling ribcage more than he heard it. A mountain of tawny fur approached him, broad shoulders rolling with muscle as it moved. Robin braced himself for the attack when a soft voice spoke from just beyond his line of vision.

"No need to fear, my babies. He will not hurt you."

Catwoman stalked lightly from the shadows, stroking her pets without fear. The three mountain lions rushed up to her, mewling for attention. Robin kept his eyes on the behemoth in front of him. Catwoman held out her hand to it, and the beast padded over to her, butting its huge skull against her chest and rubbing its muzzle against her arm. Catwoman laughed quietly and motioned for her companions to go to the other side of the building.

"My apologies," she told him once they had left. "They're rather bored without proper prey, and they can be a bit protective of me." Robin put up his bo staffs, staring at the patch of shadows into which the four felines had vanished.

"I didn't believe Bruce when he told me about that thing the first time," he said. Catwoman smirked, twirling her whip in one hand.

"Beautiful, isn't he. Apparently he got tired of Blake's little cult and broke free to find me. It took some time to convince Isis and the others that he could be trusted, but I'm pleased to have him now." Catwoman purred. "Though I suspect you're not here to discuss my babies." Robin narrowed his eyes beneath the mask.

"Why did you bring me here, Selina? You should never call or text me on my communicator." Robin told her. Selina rolled her eyes.

"Stop acting so hostile. Unless, of course, I'm keeping you from your little girlfriend." Robin stiffened as if he had been hit.

"I already told you-"

"And I saw you two out on your little date while I was taking my babies out for a little hunt." Selina interrupted. Robin's face reddened. "I also came by your tower the night of Grundy and Two Face's attack. I could see you two through the window from the ground- fifty feet away from the tower." Robin gritted his teeth and drew his bo staffs.

"Why are you spying on us?" he roared. An answering roar from behind Selina shook the warehouse, rattling rusted iron beams. Selina soothed the cats behind her before facing the enraged bird before her.

"I wasn't trying to spy, nor do I have any desire to. But Bruce is on trial in large part because of you and the Titans, and almost anything you do can be brought to the case-"

"They don't care about our personal lives." Robin snapped. Selina narrowed her eyes, suddenly bearing a striking resemblance to the predators that milled about behind her.

"A large part of the decision rests on whether or not the Titans are behaving maturely. Most of you aren't proper adults, and several members of the League want to put you under their authority simply because you're minors-"

"So what?" Robin spat, crouching in an attack position. "Are they really going to ask each and every Titan about who they're dating and what-" This time Selina interrupted him, her pleasant voice an irritated snarl.

"Clark saw you and that girl on your date! And when I went to see you at the tower, at first it looked like you two it looked like you were doing it right in front of an open window!" Robin froze with his mouth open. Selina rolled on. "If Clark had seen you then, it might have tipped the scales against Bruce. I know for a fact that Black Canary and Martian Manhunter have been sent to interrogate Wildebeest, Hot Spot, and Argent about the Titans. How long do you think it'll be before one of them comes knocking on your tower door?"

Catwoman continued to glare at Robin for a minute before the anger seemed to drain out of her.

"Just, be more careful, ok? A lot could go wrong here, and the League has probably already reviewed your stalemate against Grundy and Two Face. My interference certainly won't help there." Robin called after Selina as she walked into the darkness.

"Hey, Selina." She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Thanks for your help back there. Raven said without you we'd have lost a few Titans for sure." Selina smiled.

"My pleasure. And by the way, congratulations, you found a girl with excellent taste. Best wishes to you both." The alluring woman was swallowed by the shadows as he pets moved about the warehouse soundlessly, hunting for the next threat.

I know this chapter wasn't the best, but it was necessary to transition into the rest of the story, sorry. I don't know exactly when the next chapter will come out, but I can absolutely promise you that things will get much, much better in that one! As ever, please review.


	20. Consequences of The Heat

I'm so sorry everyone, I know the last update was pathetic but it had to be done! And I want to apologize for any mistakes in this chapter right away. I have so tired lately, I'm amazed I can write at all. I will be editing this chapter after posting more than the others to make sure it is perfect.

It had been a week since the little outing to Steel City. In that time no one attacked anything, and the team was busy doing research, looking for clues. Or rather, the team as a whole had been busy looking for clues for a day or two and then decided to go to the beach and hang out. Robin had been holed up in his room like a rabbit for days. He only came out to eat or investigate a lead, all of which turned out to be dead ends.

Raven left him alone, resisting the various emotions that compelled her to seek him out. Robin needed to obsess over this. There was nothing Raven could do that would convince him to stop. And she sorely needed to meditate. She hadn't seen Malchior in a while, but she heard his laughter and an offhand taunt every few hours a night. What she didn't understand was why the dragon had all but ceased his ridicule. Raven knew her mind was weak right now, but with each day of meditation she grew stronger and stronger. Yet Malchior did not attempt to stop her.

So while Raven meditated alone in her room, Robin searched for leads in his. Batgirl helped him out in the mornings and evenings, but during the day she was outside with the others. The only other Titan who had anything important to do was Cyborg. While the team was away Silkie had eaten through the Titans' mainframe and destroyed a host of systems in the tower, everything from security measures to the doorbell. Cyborg still went out for volleyball and barbecue for a few hours a day, but most of his time was spent repairing the damage to the tower's wiring.

Raven stood it the kitchen, waiting for her tea to boil. Sweat dripped from her forehead, and her cloak made an oven out of the air around her body. She wiped a hand across her face, and when the tea was ready she elected to let it cool on the counter for a few minutes. Raven huffed. Her hair was so sticky with sweat that it did not move with the puff of air.

The mainframe had been repaired, but Cyborg was still fixing the alarms and security for the tower. He hadn't gotten around to little things like the wifi or the air conditioning. The biggest heat wave Jump City had seen in years was working through the city. Last night the temperature had refused to drop below eighty-five, and tonight was supposed to be hotter.

"The TV is important enough for him to fix before the security, but the AC isn't. Typical." Raven muttered under her breath as she sipped her tea. The whole team was suffering from the heat, especially since the mayor had expended the water ration to include Titans Tower. Thankfully Robin had forced Beast Boy to wash his clothes so that the heat wouldn't make his room a gas chamber. Raven made her way up to the roof and hovered in the lotus position. The sun was baking against her cloak, but without it Raven felt bare. She began chanting her mantra, trying and successfully ignoring the heat.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrion Zinthos…Azarath Metrio- acckk!" Raven grabbed her throat. Her entire body burned even hotter, as if doused in gasoline and set aflame, but her throat was icy, so cold that her flesh had contracted and sealed together. Raven fell to her knees, clutching her neck, when the sensation vanished. The feeling lasted only a moment, but Raven was thoroughly unnerved. She stood on unsteady legs, once more glad for the cloak that covered her.

Raven's body was wracked with violent shivers despite the sweat that poured down her body. Raven took a deep breath and focused, stilling her trembling muscles. She had not felt anything like that since the days following her birthday. Since Trigon.

She took a few more deep breaths.

Raven forced herself to resume meditating. It would help no one if she obsessed over something she did not understand. She would meditate on it today and consult her books tomorrow if she had not found the answer by then. Raven knew that she couldn't tell Robin about it. Not yet, not until she had all the answers.

The still air twitched, like an invisible curtain being jerked by the actors behind it. A laugh curled through the heat waves, so quiet it was almost nonexistent. Raven hoped it was. Raven continued meditating, but her back itched like she was being watched. A vague aura floated around the roof, almost familiar but too faint to be recognizable.

For a split second she considered going to talk to Robin. The curtain twitched again, and Raven could detect minute traces of scorn from an unknown source. The laughter of her friends playing on the rocks below drifted up to her ears in sharp opposition to the voice. Somehow they seemed to be in another world, one Raven could not open a portal to. She tugged her cloak a little tighter around her head.

It was a long, solitary day.

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Raven's head throbbed as she lay down to sleep. The presence stubbornly lingered after an entire day of meditating. If anything it had gotten stronger. She laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. The good news was she fell asleep instantly. The bad news was that Malchior was waiting for her.

The dragon's laughter filled her skull, rattling Raven's brain and shaking her bones. She braced herself for another round of taunts, but a tail the circumference of Cyborg's body wrapped around her waist and lifted her off her feet. Malchior's red eyes glared down at her, glowing with dark magic that Raven could only imagine. His breath steamed in the warm air, filling Raven's nose with brimstone and sulfur.

_"Ah, sweet Raven, my time has come. But I wanted to make sure I gave you a parting gift first."_

Raven's blood chilled even as the flames swirling around her blistered her skin. This was far more real than the other dreams, too tangible. Malchior seemed more physical than he had been before; Raven could feel the strength in the tail, ready to crush her, and the magic imbued in his skin, an endless supply of feral power. In fact, he was the only thing Raven could see clearly. The scenery was garbled, distorted, and shrouded— Raven could only sense flame surrounding her.

"What are you talking about, Malchioorrrr?" The last part was a mangled groan as Malchior's tail tightened its grip around her waist, throwing another serpentine coil over her lungs. Malchior bared his teeth.

_"Why Raven, I told you it was only a matter of time until I broke free back into the world I was born in, the world you do not belong in. Tonight I make the journey back to the dimension from which I came. But before I left, I wanted to give you a parting gift while I balanced on the cusp of the two worlds, where my influence over your mind is strongest._ Raven glared murderously at Malchior.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Black tendrils snaked from her body and streaked toward his heart only to shatter against the scaly hide. Raven conjured a larger storm of magic, sending crackling lightning toward him. Malchior breathed a jet of fire, disrupting her spell.

_"Ahahaha. Did you truly think that would stop me, _sweet _Raven?" Malchior ridiculed. "I taught you everything you know."_ Malchior loomed over her, his muscular neck glistening darkly in the firelight. _"You cannot stop me anymore than you could banish your father."_ Malchior allowed the thought to trail off. Raven felt something like something was growing within her, an icy egg, swelling larger and larger, approaching closer to its hatching with each passing second.

"You can't mean…" Raven couldn't finish the sentence. The thought was too terrible. Malchior bared his teeth again. Their location became clearer a moment before a circular portal of darkness appeared, and Raven was suddenly glad she wasn't standing because then Malchior would have the satisfaction of seeing her weak knees fall beneath the weight of her body. Trigon's face loomed beneath her, screwed in pain and hatred, obscene curses against her slinking through his lips and clenched teeth. She could feel his power, so like her own but searing like boiling acid and a hundred times more powerful with no limits to its expansion.

_"This is merely a glimpse, a window at your father. Trigon the Terrible labors in this world you sent him, but he will rise again. All he needs is his little gem. As long as you live, Trigon may return." _Malchior told her, his voice filled with savage pleasure as the egg hatched and coils of terror and anger spiraled through her body. Gradually Raven became aware that she was screaming, as she never had before, nearly drowning Malchior's thunderous laugh.

Her father vanished. Raven and Malchior were back in the world of flames, his tail ensnaring her as he prepared himself for the journey to Earth.

_"Really, this has been fun, sweet Raven, but I must be going soon. I have time for just one last gift, so that you don't forget your father, or me."_

The dragon grabbed Raven's right arm in his left hand and extended it. The wicked talon reached down and began etching the Mark of Scath into her hand, where it glowed dark red, smoldering against her skin.

Raven yelled, struggled, pounded his tail, hurled dark talons and bolts of energy, summoned immense lightning storms, and blasted him with surges of magic strong enough to level an apartment complex. She lost all restraint over her emotions, and tentacles lashed against Malchior's hide as the flames swirled exponentially higher, roaring against his scales.

Malchior chuckled as he carved the prophecy into every part of her. She tried to use her astral form but couldn't, much to Malchior's amusement. At one point his head morphed and dipped down to her level, and for a minute Raven was convinced that she stood on the rooftop again as Slade stripped her, his single eye more frightening than any demon.

Then Malchior was back, snickering at her. The flames died down, and Malchior flipped Raven over. A flood of muddy, sludge filled water rose around them, and he pushed Raven under the surface. Raven failed and fought trying to reach the surface. Water and earth filled her mouth, her throat, her lungs. Raven tried to cry for help, but she could do nothing, only drown in the quagmire.

Raven awoke instantaneously, gasping and clutching the sweat-soaked sheets to her chin. She stared about her room for a moment. The presence of Malchior was gone. Raven held her arm in front of her. The prophecy was gone. She wanted to believe it was all just a dream. But she knew otherwise.

Malchior would be free tonight.

Her father survived as long as she did.

And Raven was afraid.

Raven sat in her bed, reigning in her emotions one by one. Fortunately the shock of the situation was enough to keep them from running free when she first woke. Raven lay down for only a moment before slipping free of the covers. She donned her cloak and took a few steps toward the door. Then Raven froze. She didn't know what she had been about to do. She didn't know what she was going to do now.

Passion took her indecision to hit her with another completely ridiculous suggestion: go tell Robin. Raven scowled. The indignity of running to Robin was unthinkable. She would rather listen to ten hours of Beast Boy's comedy act. Raven was not a damsel in distress. She had dealt with Malchior and Trigon by herself before. She could do it again. And she wasn't going to use Robin was some kind of tool to help her sleep. That would be beyond insulting, for both of them.

But did she really want to handle it alone? Raven remembered how much Robin's presence had helped her sleep before. She knew he cared about her. He would want her to tell him. And he would feel her unease eventually. Last time he had come to her room in the middle of the night because of a vague sense that she was in trouble. But if he cared that much, why hadn't he come yet? Raven was in an even worse state than she had been then. Were the leads he was working on distracting him, or were those leads just more important to him than she was?

Passion yelled at her furiously, and Raven's skull felt like it was about to crack in half from the pain. She grabbed it, knees twisting inward, trying to support her. After a few minutes the pain passed and Passion was subdued. Raven stood slowly. She took a deep breath. She didn't have a choice.

Raven phased through the floor, gliding ghostlike to drop straight down into Robin's room. Raven turned toward the bed, debating whether waking Robin was the best idea, only to find it empty. A faint grumble caught her attention, and Raven turned to see Robin hunched over the center table. Raven walked over to his side, her boots near silent on the carpet. Robin was passed out on the table, head in his arms. He grumbled again, shifted, and groaned, his face scrunched into a scowl.

"Raven," he muttered and shifted again, one hand clenching into a fist. Raven felt a weight inside her vanish. He did sense her, he did care; he was just comatose from too much work. She stopped next to Robin. Was it really right to wake him up in the middle of the night? Should she wait until morning? Raven was contemplating what she should do when Robin let out a big moan, jerked, and sat up. For a moment he sat staring straight ahead, gasping, but after a moment he noticed Raven and turned to face her, masked eyes filled with confusion.

"Raven, what are you—" he started to say. Then his eyes widened and he stood. "I, you were having another nightmare, weren't you? I felt you, in my head, just now. You were having another nightmare, weren't you?" Raven held it all in for another second before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Robin's neck. Robin reciprocated, and Raven told him about Malchior, Trigon, the prophecy, everything. Robin did not speak, and Raven neither cried nor allowed her monotone to waver. But when she was done she buried her face in the crook of Robin's neck, and he kissed her head.

"Don't worry, we'll figure it out, Raven." He murmured. Raven pulled back to look at him.

"I know that tomorrow we'll investigate this, but for now I'm just tired." Raven said. Robin's hands made their way to her arms, slowly moving up and down from her elbow to her shoulder in a steady motion. He smiled and tilted his head as he looked at her.

"Then why don't we go to bed now?" He suggested. Raven's emotions jumped around in her mind, all eight telling her to do something different, but Raven didn't give a damn anymore. She laid her forehead against Robin for another moment, and when he took her hand in his she allowed him to lead her to the bed. Raven would have killed anyone else, but Raven knew what Robin was doing. His thoughts were leaping through their bond to her mind. He wanted to help her and thought this was the best way to do it, nothing more, nothing less. Robin picked her up and laid her down on the bed. A small dust cloud rose up, making Raven cough.

"Sorry," Robin muttered. Raven stood, and Robin shook out the blanket and beat the mattress until the dust was gone. Raven slipped out of her boots and crawled in as Robin dislodged his boots and cape, carefully folding his clothes and placing them aside. He climbed under the covers and pulled her in. Raven laid her head on his arm, and at first everything felt just like it had before.

But Cyborg still hadn't fixed the heat, and it was easily ninety degrees in Robin's room. After five minutes of them shifting, panting, and groaning Robin had to admit defeat and throw the comforter aside. He down on the bed again, but Raven felt uneasy about sleeping uncovered next to the window, so she pulled up the thin sheet and lay it lightly over them.

Robin wrapped his arms around her again, but it was only a minor improvement. The sheet was soaked with sweat in minutes, and Robin kept shifting, clearly overheated in his suit. Raven threw her cloak aside after a minute or two, but Robin kept shifting and panting for the next ten minutes. Raven could taste sour disappointment from both of them. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

"I'm sorry, but this is too much," Robin burst out. Raven could feel his embarrassment, and her heart sank. Raven sat up, expecting him to roll out of the bed, but Robin got up on his knees, grabbed his shirt and gloves, and pulled them over his head.

Oh.

She hadn't seen that coming.

Robin flopped back down into the bed, and Raven hesitantly lay down next to him, searching their bond for any signs of lust, but there were none. Robin was just hot. Raven scooted closer to him under the sheet, her face even with his collarbone. Robin was just hot.

Raven could sense Robin's discomfort as she looked at him, but he didn't try to cover himself up. Raven studied his chest. Raven honestly wasn't terribly attracted by the planes of sculpted muscle. Not that she found it unattractive, not in the least. But what interested her were the scars running along his chest. Long slashes from knives, large white spots from bullets, and stranger wounds: the records of a life of fighting. Raven traced her hand down a series of white streaks like giant claw marks across his shoulder, down his heart, and over his ribs. She ran her hand along an old knife wound crossing his collarbone. Her fingers curled over the bone for a moment, feeling it.

"Like what you see?" Robin whispered, teasing, but Raven could feel his nervousness. Raven nuzzled closer to him in response. Raven teethed her lip for a moment, mustering her courage. She stretched up to peck his lips before retreating, hoping that Robin would dismiss her blush in the warmth of the room. Robin blinked and smiled. He darted down to brush his lips across hers. The third time they stretched to meet each other. Raven pulled back and looked into Robin's eyes. He smiled, and then Raven felt something new to her pass through both their minds simultaneously.

Robin pressed his lips harder against hers. She waited only as fraction of a second to do the same. The scars along his lips brushed against her own lips, and the texture stirred her, making Passion howl with delight. He still tasted and smelled like pizza; the familiarity comforted her immensely. Robin pulled her bottom lip between both of his and sucked for a moment. His teeth ran along her lip wonderfully before he released her. Raven moaned inaudibly into his mouth, tendrils of warmth coiling through her. She was getting hotter by the second, but kissing Robin was worth the heat. She felt the tip of his tongue dash along her lips. Raven paused, unsure of what to do, before touching her own tongue tip to Robin's lips. The result was instantaneous.

Robin's tongue darted to prod hers. Raven did the same to him before she could pull back or register how gross it was. The feeling was bizarre, but somehow intoxicating in a completely novel way. Robin's tongue traced her lips, asking for entrance, and on its third pass Raven opened to greet him. Robin's tongue poked hers as soon as it emerged into the cave created by their conjoined lips. Raven dabbed at him at first, slowly growing more comfortable, enjoying the oral wrestling. She fastened her hands on his shoulders, ignoring the sweltering temperature that threatened to cook her. Robin sighed into her mouth, and Raven felt flush with victory.

Robin's right hand unwound itself from her waist and began to trail up her side. Raven loved the warm sensations the trail of his hand left. Her leg started itching, and Raven twisted slightly, trying to scratch it, inadvertently changing the path Robin's hand was taking to reach her shoulder.

Raven gasped quietly as his hand slid over her right breast. A flush of heat filled her body, and she began sweating even more. Robin moved his hand away quickly, as if he had accidently poked a snake in the eye.

"Sorry, Raven, I really didn't mean to do that," he whispered, his concern and guilt flooding over him. Raven shifted, carefully formulating what she wanted to say. Her breast was still tingling strangely.

"Robin, I like you, but I don't want to…you know," Raven trailed off momentarily, uncomfortable saying outright what it was she didn't want to do. "One day, maybe, but not now."  
"I understand, Raven. It's ok." Robin said. He started to move away from her, but Raven pulled him closer. After a moment of surprise Robin relaxed and held her just as he had before. His hands moved to her hips, and in Raven's moment of relief Bravery took over, doing what Raven herself was too cautious to do. Raven wrapped her small left hand around his right wrist and pulled his hand up her body to her breast.

"I didn't say that I wanted you to stop," Raven muttered, acutely embarrassed. The warm tingling had returned, and it wasn't unpleasant. Not one bit.

"Are you sure?" Robin delayed, watching her, concern and apprehension filling his mind. But Raven could sense his arousal as well, so much like her own. Raven tried not to let her fear show.

"I trust you." She said, voice calm as ever, leaving the decision up to him. Robin's hand hovered over her for a second before descending once more. His palm cupped the peak of her breast, fingering wrapping around and digging slightly into the firm mound before he squeezed very gently. Raven gasped again as what she now recognized as pleasure spread from her breast. Her nipple pebbled against his palm, and he swiped his thumb across the peak of her breast, spiking the previously slow-growing pleasure.

Raven tilted her head back and moaned, louder this time, and Robin took the chance to kiss her. Raven tried to kiss him back, but she was busy gasping for breath. Robin outpaced her easily and moved on to trail kisses across both cheeks. His mouth attached itself to her jawbone, and Raven groaned, almost delirious as Robin placed glorious, sucking kisses all along her jaw. His lips traced down her neck to suckle her pulse as his fingers massaged her breast, and the pleasure and heat rose ever higher, pushing Raven over the edge. She gripped his shoulder until her knuckles turned white, moans turning to rapid murmurs. She couldn't decide which was more intoxicating, Robin's lips trailing deliciously over her neck or his fingers tweaking her nipple and squeezing the soft mound beneath her leotard.

But soon the heat was too much. The room had already been nearly insufferably warm, and the added activity wasn't helping. Raven could no longer breath, and her vision started to become foggy. She yanked herself away, gasping for air. Robin sat up, arousal turning to concern.

"I'm sorry if I—" Robin started to say.

"No." Raven panted. "You were fine. You were great. I'm just…too hot right now."

"But you're always hot," Robin asserted. Raven slapped the side of his head even as she listened to Robin mentally slap himself for speaking on an impulse.

"I'm serious, Robin. It's too warm for me to do this just now." She said, breathless. Robin started to say something then fell silent, flushing an even darker red as they panted in the heat. Raven knew what he had been about to suggest but was too polite to voice aloud. Raven froze with no clue what to do. She wouldn't have possibly considered it even ten minutes ago, but now the idea was a mixture of exhilarating and downright horrifying. Passion urged her to do it while Timid and Intelligence yelled at her not to. Bravery took advantage of the situation while everyone was stalled.

Raven slowly, hesitantly, slipped her arms free of her leotard. She wiggled the top half of the garment down her body to just below her breasts. No combination of emotions, sleeplessness, and nightmares could have brought her to bring it any lower. Robin stared at her, mouth open. Raven shifted beneath his gaze, seriously doubting her decision. Robin pulled her down onto her side slowly. He ran tender hands along her bare arms before he cupped her face in his hands. To Raven's relief and surprise, it was her eyes he seemed drawn to.

"You don't have to do this you know," he murmured. "Part of a relationship is compromise and waiting. You don't have to do this for me." Robin pulled her to him, her chest pressing against his in a gentle embrace. His concern washed over her, soothing her nerves. Raven buried her face in the crook of his neck, and when Robin's hand drifted up her bare back to stroke her hair, relief filled her like a cool drink of water. The little action, so small most people wouldn't think twice about it, was an enormous comfort to her. Raven pressed her face deeper into his neck and shoulder as Robin adjusted his grip on her.

"I trust you," she said, letting her emotions drift through their bond. Robin planted a kiss on her chakra, and Raven pulled back for another taste of pizza. They began where they left off, Robin's hands on her breasts and his lips on her neck. It wasn't a contest between his mouth and hands. His lips sucking her neck were wonderful. Each time his teeth nipped her skin a tiny gasp escaped her parted lips.

But his hands on her bare breasts were pure bliss. His strong, nimble fingers massaged the tight hill, teasing out coils of pleasure that spiraled through her being. His calloused hands squeezed her chest, coaxing a steady undulation of pleasure each time. His thumb swiped over her nipple, and she yelped softly. Robin's ministrations slowed, and she nuzzled her forehead against his chest, trying to form the words to tell him not to keep going. Robin got the message, and his thumb pushed her nipple first to one side, then to the other, before swirling it in a circle and pushing on it straight down.

They were on their sides, and for a split second Raven felt a little nervous, as if someone might see her, but Robin managed to sling his other arm around her, keeping Raven close to him but not completely restraining her. The nerves vanished, and Raven gave herself in to the physical ecstasy of Robin's hands and mouth and the even greater emotional comfort of the gentle affection and concern of his mind.

Raven's pants grew heavier as Robin's lips formed a seal over her chakra and sucked very gently, his tongue tip skating delicately over the gem as his thumb lightly tweaked her other nipple. The simultaneous flood of her pleasure and his emotions pushed her higher than ever. Raven mewled softly as Robin's hand moved to knead first one breast, then the other. His mouth moved to her lips, his kisses warm and sweet and wonderful. Raven stretched, pressing into his lips and hands, both tender, neither changing the perfect tempo.

She pulled her legs higher, curling into Robin's body. Her thigh pressed between his legs, and she felt something warm and hard against her. Raven remembered when his leg had pressed against her, and she pushed a little harder on the rod. Robin didn't react, but she could feel his arousal through their bond. She wedged her leg against him, mind too fuzzy to do anything else as the pleasure built to a dizzying height.

Raven lost track of how long they lay there, but eventually they slowed. Raven couldn't withhold the yawn. Robin stopped, and Raven looked up at him. His eyes were drooping, and his hair resembled a sea urchin more than anything else. But he was still smiling at her with that loving, inquisitive gaze. She smiled back after a moment, her nerves descending back to the real world where she needed to sleep.

"Time for bed," Robin whispered. Raven pushed herself closer to him and turned on her side to face the window, ignoring the rest of the wrinkled leotard scrunched on the bed in front of her. Robin pulled her into him and laid his head on her shoulder. Raven felt something sticky touched her cheek and turned to look up at him. Something white was running out from the edges of Robin's mask.

"What is on your face?" She asked. Robin touched his face and brought the finger to his eyes for inspection. His eyes widened, and he wiped off the little bit on Raven's cheek.

"Be right back," he whispered. Robin darted off toward his closet, Raven sat up and watched as he rummaged in his closet, wiped his face with the shirt on the floor, and put on a fresh mask. Raven tried to see his eyes when he changed masks, but Robin's back was to her. He came back to her side in just over thirty seconds.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I use a type of glue to keep my mask in place. It must have melted from the heat and sweat." Raven frowned.

"I didn't notice when I wore the mask." Robin shrugged and pulled her back into his embrace. She nuzzled him as they spooned, falling into a delightfully blissful sleep.

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The man flew over Jump City. He yawned. He didn't want to be here, but since he was the only one who hadn't cast his vote yet he was the only one who could validate the claims. As he approached the tower, he wondered if he should wait until morning. When he was about twenty feet away, he wall of arousal, desire, and apprehension touched his mind. The man stopped, instinctively going into camouflage mode. He saw the masked man without his shirt from the bed rising onto his arms. He recognized the younger man instantly. It took him a moment to see the young woman with her back to him and her face toward the young man, then another moment to detect her thoughts. He saw the young woman peel off the top of her leotard, exposing her gray back to him. The man turned and flew away, no longer sleepy. He had seen enough to validate the claims.

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Roughly twenty people sat around an oval table, tapping their feet, drumming the table, and trying not to stare at the dark figure who stood bound before them, his demeanor as calm as ever. The dark figure watched them, his eyes inscrutable as ever beneath the cowl. He was calm, if not unconcerned, but that was more than anyone else in the room could have said honestly. Those sitting around the table started as Martian Manhunter walked into the room and took his place at the table. The Martian stared at the table for a good four minutes. The others shifted and started to mutter, but all noise ceased when he cleared his throat. Martian Manhunter glanced at the dark figure, whom regarded him without inflection. The Martian looked down the row to a larger figure in blue and red.

"I vote against the accused."

The entire room turned to stare at the dark figure in silence, who did not flinch or react in the slightest, even when the large man in blue and red stood and spoke, staring unmistakably at his shadowy counterpart.

"Then let the sentencing begin."

I am exhausted, but I _**NEED**_ reviews right now, so please, anything and everything is welcome, and the longer it is the more welcome it is.


	21. The Morning After

Sorry It took so long, I'll aim for another chapter this weekend. I needed to get this stuff out of the way to move on to the better stuff, so don't worry.

Batman sat on the edge of the steel bunk in his cell, neither moving nor speaking. His perfect posture and straight back did not so much as twitch in the direction of the security camera. The Dark Knight seemed oblivious to both the camera and the inhibitor collar around his neck, as well as the six-inch steel cuffs around his wrists. He stared straight ahead, his thoughts calm and carefully clouded so that they could not be read.

Though screened, the mind within was active, constantly thinking, not about the trial or his sentence, but about those who would be in danger because he had failed. He had failed to defend himself in court, failed to convince the League through reason and evidence, and failed those he left behind. Batman sat in the most secure jail cell known to man and feared, not for his own life, but for the lives of those he had failed to defend.

_What will happen to you, Selina?_ He thought. _What will you do and what will the League do to you in my absence? _He had been careful to neither say nor imply a word about Selina during the trial, and the topic had thankfully not come up. But once Superman got his way, and Batman suspected he would eventually, he would not be there for her. His fear was not that Selina would be unable to defend herself, but that she would turn to a life of crime again. She was making so much progress and doing such good now that for her to revert to her previous state would be a tragedy.

More than that, he would miss having her around, miss seeing those mischievous, feline eyes glittering with unreadable thoughts. He would miss her laughter and her courage. He would be forced to know that he had failed their relationship yet again. He would even miss little Isis slinking around the house and Selina's larger babies roaming the woods around Wayne Manor, always just out of sight.

Alfred would be heartbroken. The old man's old dream of a continued Wayne lineage had just been reborn. And Alfred had done so much for him. Mr. Freeze had not been far off when he called Alfred Bruce Wayne's surrogate father. Without Alfred's support, Batman didn't think he would have been able to keep his sanity this long.

Two faces flashed behind his eyes, both of the same people. The first was a young boy, smiling with delight, the wooden head of a training manikin rocking at his feet. The second was a young man, face lined with a faint scowl, staring out the window into the rainy night, the weight of the world settled on his narrow, unrounded shoulders.

Dick.

Batman had failed him all those years ago, and he had failed him again a few hours ago. What would Dick do, when news of Batman's failure came to him. It wasn't a question. Batman knew what Dick would do, as surely as he knew that there was evil in the world. Dick would fight back. He always had. When he was sentenced, Clark would take the opportunity to push the idea of regulating the Titans. Dick would fight them bitterly at every turn until Clark decided that Batman's one-time apprentice was a nuisance worthy of the Kryptonian's attention.

Even if the other Leaguers decided to place no restrictions on the Titans, Dick would hear about the trial sooner or later. That was the situation Batman was not sure of. He pondered the scenario for only a brief time. Dick would most likely be conflicted for a while. Batman had done his best with him, but in the end he had failed and Dick had left. Whatever they had said to each other recently, Bruce knew the old wounds were not so quickly forgotten.

It is easy to shed blood. It is hard to restore it.

Dick would be troubled at first, perhaps a bit angry or indignant, possibly sad, but he would push it aside; and eventually Batman would become nothing more than a childhood memory in his mind. Dick had his own team to look after and his own family to protect. And he was stronger than Batman usually gave him credit for. Dick would be fine as long as Clark didn't interfere.

Clark. He had done a lot of good over the years. The League wouldn't have lasted this long without him. But he was a tool, only too willing to take commands from anyone with a badge or an office. Batman had managed to counter him enough to keep the League independent. Batman hadn't trusted the League for a while; even when everyone else had assumed he had given up on his suspicions Batman had been studying those around him closely, searching for signs of betrayal. He knew more about the League than anyone else. Yet he had never expected Clark to become so power-hungry.

For the past few years Clark had been assuming more control and command, bullying and coaxing submission from the others. Batman had stood in his path at every turn, but now the Man of Steel had won. After all those late nights, all those battles (both physical and mental), Clark had managed to use the Titans to bring him down. The greatest achievement of his surrogate son had been the first drop of water to fall in the well he would drown in. The irony.

The doors hissed open. Batman was not surprised nor did he pretend to be. He had heard the delayed footsteps some time ago was not surprised to see Diana standing before him. The Amazonian was trying so hard not to let her emotions show, but Batman saw her confliction. He saw right through her.

"It's time to go," she told him. Batman stood and walked toward her, his movements calm and collected as an undisturbed pool. It was a ten-minute walk to the conference room. Diana walked on his right, occasionally slapping her thigh or balling her hand into fist.

"I always liked you, more than I should have," she said. Batman could see she regretted saying anything even as the words left her mouth, but Diana did flinch when she looked at him. Batman did not turn to face her.

"I know. That's why we went out." Batman replied. His voice was calm, curt and to the point, just like hers.

"Then why did we stop?" Diana asked.

"You stopped us. You are an Amazon. We are teammates. We are heroes, and heroes have a duty to perform. You choose honor and duty. Not necessarily a bad choice." Diana stopped. Batman kept walking until a slim-fingered but powerful hand grabbed his shoulder with what she would assume to be a gentle grip. He turned to face her, face blank beneath the concealing cowl. Diana studied him, her eyes granting him a peek at the tumultuous question inside.

"You…don't regret it?" He knew the question wasn't exactly what she wanted to ask, but it was the best she could do.

"No." She knew what it meant. He regretted neither the start of the budding romance nor its rapid death. He could see the traces of hurt, anger, confusion, sadness, and the sundry other emotions that compile complicated relationships.

"We always fought well together. You've been a good teammate." He told her. A consolation prize. She understood the hidden meaning, the comfort behind those words, and the hurt and anger gave way to the inevitable confusion. He knew she would do her duty regardless. Batman walked the rest of the way to the conference room in front of her until at last they reached the doors. They would pay for those thirty seconds of closure if anyone saw the surveillance footage, which no doubt someone would.

Diana opened the doors and walked before Batman as if she had led him the whole way. Batman did not look anywhere but straight ahead as he crossed the room, though he caught Zatanna glancing at him from the corner of her eye. She stared directly at the table when she caught his gaze. The Dark Knight moved to stand on one side of the table by himself while the others turned to face him and Diana took her seat. From where he stood the League appeared to be a more colorful, dangerous version of _The Last Supper_ by Da Vinci. Batman raised his head, refusing to be cowed, ready to accept his sentence.

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Cheshire was grinning both in front of and behind the mask. She steadied the missile launcher on her shoulder and raised the scope to the eyehole of her mask. She sighted on her first target. The man was talking on his cell phone as he leaned over a low railing on a bridge, oblivious to her presence. Cheshire didn't know why Vandal wanted him dead, but she didn't particularly care. Cheshire tightened her finger on the trigger. The force was like a rough hand grabbing her shoulder and tugging her back.

Damn Sportsmaster.

Cheshire dropped the missile launcher. Too bulky to make a clean escape with. She ignored the scream of the man falling to his death. She didn't need to see him splatter upon impact with the water or hear the splash that accompanied his remains sinking beneath the waves. She moved deeper into Star City and plopped down in her safe house, drumming clawed fingers on her knee. Ten minutes later the door to her safe house swung open. An official looking man in gray Kevlar stood in the doorway. A LexCorp nametag over his right breast pocket read CHIEF OF SECURITY. He handed her an envelope and left before she could skewer him.

Cheshire examined the envelope closely, but it appeared safe. She opened it carefully. When no deadly gas poured out, she peered inside. The envelope contained her payment and the details of her next mission. It was far too long of a wait in her opinion. Cheshire scanned the mission parameters while considering a new location for her safe house in this city. Then she froze. She read the first three lines again.

Line one told her to memorize and destroy the message upon reception.

The second line gave her the name and location of her target.

The third contained the words: non lethal force.

Cheshire read the second line another four times, slowly and carefully to be absolutely positive she hadn't misread it. She smiled under the mask.

She couldn't believe her luck.

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"My, my, you certainly know your trade well, professor." Slade said to the older man hunched over a prone robot on the floor. The robot bore Slade's likeness, but Ivo was a whole other story. The professor was a small, slightly stooped man in a button-down shirt, bow tie, sweater, and slacks. His auburn hair was streaked with gray, and his face was lined with age. Despite this he seemed undisturbed by the assassin and turned over his shoulder to face Slade with a calm smile.

"Why, thank you, Deathstroke. Oh, I'm sorry, mister Slade, slip of the tongue." Ivo's voice was mild, calm, and slightly cheerful, as if discussing the weather with an old friend. Ivo chuckled quietly and went back to work, continuing to speak as if he didn't notice Slade's annoyance.

"You were very smart to use robots. Only fools bother with henchmen and petty thieves to do their dirty work. Good androids are what villains nowadays need, not slop like T.O. Morrow's inventions."

"The Titans are formidable. My robots do not last long." Slade said, single eye narrowed.

"Ah, but you made the same mistake so many others are making these days: you sacrificed efficiency and design for numbers. So many are corrupting the field of robotics with that tactic." Ivo said. "But not to worry. I will make your androids better than any you have made before. There, I have already finished the first one."

Ivo stood and brushed off his hands as he said this last piece. He turned to regard Slade with the same calm, slightly amused smile he had worn earlier.

"Excellent." Slade said, a touch of pleasure permeating his voice. Ivo smiled a little wider.

"By the time I'm done you'll be thanking Savage on bended knee for sending me to help you." Slade's eye narrowed again as Ivo cheerfully began work on the next robot.

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"Good to see you again, old friend. What brings you back in town?" A small, round man asked his companion. The speaker was elegantly dressed with a monocle over his eye and an umbrella handle clasped in his hand as he leaned over the table. His guest smacked vibrant red lips as he finished a glass of champagne. He set the crystal vessel down and leaned across the table to grin at his companion with a giant, tartar yellow smile.

"Why, Penguin old sport, I'm here to offer you a proposition." The Joker said.

"If it's about the bounty, I already have Black Spider—"

"No, no, it's nothing like that." The Joker said, having his arms. "That's being taken care of. I want to offer you a chance to join me and a few friends in a little pet project of ours."

"What kind of project?" Penguin asked.

"Oh, Vandal Save, Lex Luthor, and I have a whole host of little games planned." The Joker grinned unnaturally wide. "But the one you might be interested in is a global network designed to knock off every hero on the planet. One. By. One. Hehehe—ooohhahahaha." The Joker burst into hysterics as Penguin's face went slack, jaw falling open.

"I think you put the old bird into shock." Two Face commented from where he sat between the two. Penguin shook his head and studied the Joker. He opened his mouth but was cut off as a woman dressed in a black and purple suit approached him, standing with a hand on her hips. The purple mask covering her eyes sported a purple sapphire in the center, above which stretched two thin triangular prongs.

"Black Spider just reported. He hasn't found anything yet. He tried to demand extra payment, so I zapped him a few times to keep him in line."

"Thank you, Star Sapphire," Penguin said with a grin. He reached into his jacket and handed her a small gem. "Here's a little bonus for doing such a good job." Star Sapphire's eyes lit up behind the mask and she smiled before turning on heel to sit on the couch with two other women.

"She's my new head of security," Penguin boasted. Two Face glanced at a woman dressed in a scanty green one-piece. A wall plant was stretching toward her, it's leaves shivering as they brushed her bare arm. The woman glanced over at him, her ruby lips gleaming with an almost unnatural sheen. Two Face grunted and addressed his companions.

"Why is it that women are so make such excellent fear-spreaders?" The district attorney asked. "Ever since I got Ivy on my team we've been untouchable."

"Now you see why I love my little Harley." The Joker said. A woman dressed in red and black sporting a jester's cap turned and blew a kiss his way before going back to her conversation with the other two women. The Joker grinned and turned to Penguin.

"Now about our little proposition…" Penguin sipped his champagne slowly. He set the decanter down and smirked.

"Well, I must say, you've certainly peeked my interest…" The Joker and Two Face smirked. Penguin refilled their glasses.

"To the good old days." Penguin said. He smiled thinly. "And to better times to come."

The three friends toasted.

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Copperhead watched as the orange ship rose into the sky, zooming into the night until it was a tiny speck of light. His thin lips curved in a saurian smile. Perfect. He could find the perfect ambush site while they were gone. He began to creep across the rocks, making his way down to the water. He had until sunset to get into place.

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Killer Croc grinned, exhausted as he stared across the water. Just another hundred miles, and his could set the trap for his quarry. In a week's time he would be collecting his prize. Killer Croc stood, stretching, his immense scaly bulk throwing a reptilian shadow across the bleeding water. He called to his pets, unwilling to waste even a moment. His pets rose with ominous hisses like air leaking out of slashed tires. All three stomped into the waves and took flight through the water, every bit as graceful and deadly as a trio of dragons in the air.

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Raven whined softly as the morning sun woke her, blinding against her eyes. She shifted, her muscles strangely leaden. She opened her eyes the barest sliver. Immediately she knew something was wrong. The curtains across the window were opened all the way, letting the sunlight illumine an unfurnished room covered with newspaper clippings. She shifted, and noticed something was behind her. She shifted again, and a slight pressure was applied to her abdomen.

Raven glanced over her shoulder to see coal-colored quills standing in all directions above a narrow, angled face partially covered by a black mask. The muscular arms tightened over her stomach a little, forcing her to move backward into the hard planes of muscle. The touch of her back against his chest was electric. She could feel every scar and scratch against her flawless skin. He mumbled incoherently and opened his eyes, peering blearily at her through sleep-crusted eyes. His lips curved into a smile, very slightly bruised from too much kissing. Raven wondered briefly what she looked like.

"Morning," he mumbled.

Why did she always forget she had slept with him when she woke up?

"Morning," she responded quietly. Something felt different from last night. Robin shifted, and the sliding of his sweat soaked skin was like an electric eel. Oh crap. Raven pulled the sheets over her chest, instantly struck by irrational insecurity. Robin brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. His lips barely grazed the curve of her ear, but it filled that entire side of head with overwhelming heat.

Raven flinched, and Robin started to move away. Instantly she seized her arms and tugged him back, her mouth forming a silent _O_ as his skin came in contact with hers. Raven stilled for a moment before pulling her closer. Raven put a hand on his arm and lay there for a second, trying to think of something to say, painfully aware of her bare chest.

"Thanks. For last night, I mean." Raven said. As soon as the words left her lips she winced.

"For comforting me last night." She winced again.

"Thank you for comforting me about the Malchior nightmare. Robin." She clarified, voice hard. She sensed more than saw Robin smile behind her and heard the faintest breath of laughter. She hunched into a ball, humiliation filling her.

"Raven?" Robin's voice mirrored the concern flowing from him. Raven curled a little tighter.

" Raven." Robin's hands latched onto her hip and stomach, dragging her across the bed. Raven started and turned. Before she could get her bearing she found herself staring into Robin's masked eyes, lying on his chest, palms spread against him to support herself. She froze. Crap.

Robin pressed his lips against her chakra. Raven was inundated with a gentle, warm glow. Robin pulled back and studied her, concern and worry written all over his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hands moving to cover her shoulder blades. Raven remained stiff. She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. She eased herself down and met his anxious gaze squarely.

"I'm fine, Robin." She assured him. "Just…" Raven trailed off and shook her head slightly. Robin tightened his grip on her shoulders, and when she did not protest he stretched up to brush his lips against hers. His right hand repositioned to cup her arm where it met the shoulder. Raven remembered what his fingers did just eight inches down and shivered despite the still sweltering heat.

"Robin, I, I don't think we should stay here." She managed to say through the fog filling her mind. Robin pulled her down to his chest, and Raven complied without much persuasion, melting gradually into his embrace against her will. The back of his hand brushed against the base of her breast and she sucked in a quick, shallow breath. Robin began to kiss her tenderly, never moving a quarter of an inch away from her, each contact lasting a fraction of a second. His other hand continued rubbing her back slowly, comfortingly. Raven resisted the urge to moan.

"What if—" She started to say as his hands began rubbing the soft skin on her back.

"The others won't wake for a while yet," Robin assured her. "Don't worry," he said with a gentle smile.

"We have nothing to be afraid of."

As always, reviews are welcome.


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